NEW ORLEANS — LifeCity, a mission-driven L3C, has released the first biennial Love Your City New Orleans State of Sustainability Report. Produced in collaboration with the Regional Sustainability Committee — a cross-sector advisory group of sustainability and impact leaders that guides the Love Your City initiative — the report represents a 26-organization collaboration outlining major wins, persistent gaps and emerging priorities across 14 sustainability categories affecting the region’s economy, workforce and environment.
LifeCity unveiled the report Feb. 25 at Hotel Peter & Paul during the inaugural New Orleans State of Sustainability Report Luncheon. More than 145 business, nonprofit and civic leaders attended the event, which included a panel of local impact experts and a keynote address by civil rights leader Doratha “Dodie” Smith-Simmons.
The launch also coincided with LifeCity’s 15-year anniversary, recognized by Mayor Helena Moreno with an official proclamation.
Mapping the Region’s Sustainability Landscape
According to LifeCity, the State of Sustainability report is designed as a progress benchmark and a guide for future action, providing a place-based analysis across 14 categories grouped into three organizational impact areas: Environment, Team and Community. The 14 categories center on environmental, workforce and community conditions that shape economic growth.
Bob Danton, policy manager for Ride New Orleans (RIDE), a nonprofit public transit advocacy organization, described the report as a reminder of how interconnected the city’s challenges remain.
“The 2025 State of Sustainability Report is a reminder that the challenges facing our community are intersectional. Equitable access, the needs of our city’s youth, and the urgent charge to protect our environment are consistent threads that connect the challenges our city faces and the work of the diverse coalition of organizations who came together to draft this report,” said Danton. “We hope the report serves as a guidepost for the city’s business and political leadership to act in greater collaboration and alignment with the needs of our region’s residents.”
Key Findings and Recommendations
The LifeCity report identifies three primary findings:
- equitable access must be central to sustainability efforts;
- investing in children and natural systems secures long-term prosperity; and
- stronger collaboration and trust across sectors will accelerate progress.
The report includes findings that show that early investment in people and environmental systems delivers broad economic returns. Ensuring that every child has access to strong education and that neighborhoods have access to clean energy, green space and climate protection is framed not only as a moral imperative but as a long-term economic strategy.
“Louisiana’s coastal strategy and all of our efforts to plan for the future must overcome the cycle of politics and be reinvested in science. This report reminds us that this is our best economic strategy,” said Kristi Trail, Pontchartrain Conservancy Executive Director.
Businesses can support the Love Your City initiative through sponsorship, membership, tracking their impact via the Love Your City Platform and participation in the Regional Sustainability Committee.
How the Organizations Connect
LifeCity is the umbrella organization behind the Love Your City initiative. A mission-driven L3C (low-profit limited liability company), LifeCity operates programs and partnerships focused on sustainability, impact measurement and cross-sector collaboration.
Love Your City is an initiative operated by LifeCity that serves as both a sustainability framework and a business engagement platform. It includes the sustainability scorecard, the biennial State of Sustainability Report and the annual Love Your City Awards, which recognize organizations demonstrating leadership in environmental and social impact.
The Regional Sustainability Committee (RSC) is an advisory group within the Love Your City initiative. Made up of cross-sector leaders and subject-matter experts, the RSC helps guide the sustainability framework and the development of the report. It is not a government body or separate nonprofit entity.
