The organization viewed sustainability as an integrated, collaborative process that incorporates cost-effective strategies for promoting economic development, social justice, and ecological protection/restoration as one holistic process. Sustainable DC worked to draw together traditionally separate groups that included community development organizations, environmental scientists, architecture and design specialists, conservationists, builders, business developers, planners, educators, bankers, human service providers, government policy-makers, community residents, workforce trainers, social justice advocates, and representatives of faith-based organizations.

Sustainable DC provided a mechanism and conceptual framework to:

1. Educate District residents about integrating economic development with environmental protection and social justice activities;
2. Mobilizeand open access to cutting edge technical expertise, the best sustainability practices, and latest exemplary models; and
3. Facilitate and support community and neighborhood redevelopment activities that contribute to a sustainable quality of life.

In December of 2004 Sustainable DC Board members and advisors decided to expand the focus of the original organization to include work on sustainable development beyond the boundary of metropolitan DC. In April of 2005 the organization’s name was formally changed to Sustainability Now! and its mission expanded to better assist individuals, organizations, and government to more effectively achieve sustainability goals now, instead of sometime in the future. In 2006 Sustainability Now! moved to the Puget Sound region of Washington (USA) and expanded its work to include communities in the Cascade Bioregion.

Sustainability Now! accomplishments from January 2005 to the present:

• Renamed organization from Sustainable DC to Sustainability Now! Revised organizational bylaws and re-registered organization with IRS and DC government as a non-profit.
• Started a public communication campaign on sustainability that included design and publishing of a web site (A Better Future) and initial production of music-video promoting the web site (PSA).
• Designed a distance-learning program on sustainability education for high schools that included on-line learning modules and video-conference curricula. Presented this programming to 18 Ohio high schools, reaching more than 500 students, over a two-year period.
• Developed the initial design for a “Core Competency Training & Certification Program for Sustainability Professionals” and began the trademark registration process for Certified Sustainability Practitioner ™ (CSP).
• Initiated the design and stakeholder consultation process for the development of a “Sustainability Assessment Protocol” (sustainability test) to be used for evaluation of client projects and programs.

A major accomplishment of Sustainability Now! included its hosting of a workshop in April 2006 to tap into the collective wisdom of participants regarding the kinds of criteria to be considered in developing a professional sustainability certification protocol. This added to our understanding of the very diverse sustainability profession and allowed for participant's articulation of criteria, in the form of skills, experience, education, etc. professionals should possess in practicing different aspects of sustainability consultation and guidance to communities, businesses, organizations, and/or governments. As part of the Workshop we also compiled a list of "Must Read" references (and web sites) on sustainability.

Accomplishments of original Sustainable DC included the following from 2001-04:

• Organized a briefing for Mayor Anthony Williams and key cabinet members on urban sustainability by the nationally recognized expert, David Crockett, Chattanooga City Council member (TN).
• Coordinated a meeting on urban sustainability of area foundation officials with David Crockett that was hosted by the Summit Fund.
• Initiated the groundwork to build a "sustainable sister city" relationship between the District of Columbia and Chattanooga (TN).
• Developed initial plans for a Mobile Urban Design Center to support revitalization of the Anacostia Waterfront. Key partners include the DC Environmental Health Administration, DC Office of Planning, National Building Museum, Harvard School of Design, and Bridges to Friendship.
• Partnered with the Potomac Regional Education Partnership, National Association of Partners in Education, and Triangle Coalition to establish an Intel - "Teach to the Future" professional development program and resource center that has already trained more than 2,000 teachers in the Washington metropolitan area.
• Facilitated ongoing research on air quality management in the Washington Metro area, particularly, the need for a strong coalition of public health advocates and mass transportation proponents.
• Hosted a one-day workshop, "Public Health and Community Revitalization: Meeting the Needs of Washington, DC," in partnership with the National Association of County and City Health Officials, the DC Department of Health and the Brownfields Redevelopment Action Team.
• Worked in collaboration with the non-profit, Beyond Creation, and the local DC AIA Chapter Committee on the Environment (COTE), to exhibit and promote the "Earth Child" project at a National Building Museum Festival attended by more than 6,000 people. "Earth Child" is a mobile lab demonstrating green building design, alternative forms of household energy, and household efforts at watershed best management practices.
• Established a partnership with the National Park Service and GWU to host a series of forums entitled "Dialogues on Sustainability." The first of these forums was held at George Washington University on March 26, 2002. More than 40 people from the Washington region participated.
• Published a bi-weekly, on-line (Internet) newsletter entitled "Sustainability Outlook" with more than 700 subscriptions. This newsletter provided a mechanism for the quick dissemination of information, resources, and tools for the sustainable development practitioner seeking assistance and examples of success. Articles discussed the activities of people and organizations applying current ideas, methodologies, and tools to achieve quality of life improvements and demonstrated the integration of economic, environmental, and social equity issues for advancement of sustainable development.