So, yesterday I had a bit to say about the federal debacle on climate policy.
Today though, I want to highlight that while federal policy is important and plays a critical role in establishing the ground rules for how sustainable development might occur here, it is not the only game in town. In fact, the US has been making steady progress towards emissions reductions, resilience investments and more, largely outside of the federal guidance.
The federal government obviously can do more, and I, like many of you, have very limited patience for whatever the latest excuse is for stalling on easy provisions to accelerate renewables, improve the grid, upgrade the transportation system, and make our buildings and cities more resilient.
However, leadership is not waiting on our US government. And I want to profile a few areas of leadership for us.
Let’s start with cities and counties:
Globally, cities consume over two thirds of all energy and produce of 70% of carbon emissions, so it’s crucial that cities are stepping up to lead the way. And they are.
All over the nation - in red and blue states - cities are stepping up and adopting aggressive goals for emissions reduction, and improving resilient and sustainable development. Communities are where we work, play, and live, and it’s very clear that most of our impact (for good and bad) is visible in cities. Communities are also where our environment, economy, and society come together. So it makes sense that cities and counties are finding ways to improve all of these aspects of our lives at the same time. Here are just a few examples:
San Jose, California has a goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 - just eight years away. One focus is on reducing natural-gas use in existing buildings, which makes up over 30% of its emissions. To do so, they are co-creating a decarbonization plan with working class latino and Vietnamese communities - communities that often have a lower ability to upgrade properties based on cost and cultural barriers - that addresses workforce training, financing, and tenant protections.
St Paul, Minnesota is prototyping a new community-based electric carshare program that will eventually include 170 all-electric vehicles and 70 on-street charging hubs throughout the Twin Cities. Their focus is not just reduced congestion and carbon emissions but also social equity. St. Paul Chief Resilience Officer Russ Stark said “We have a mandate from our community that our climate action really needs to have equity at the center of it to benefit our most under-resourced communities first.”
But it’s not all big cities: 95% of Greensburg, Kansas was destroyed by a tornado in 2007. They sought to rebuild in a sustainable, forward-looking way and they’re now powered by 100% renewable energy, 100% of the time. They conserve water, have the most LEED-certified buildings per capita in the US, and stronger, tornado-resistant buildings. As they say on their website, “Rather than rebuild what was, we envisioned what could be – and we built it.”
And these are just three American cities. There are literally thousands of communities in America, and hundreds of thousands globally that are bringing all the talent of our cities and counties to bear on innovative, equitable, and environmentally-beneficial actions. I am truly inspired by what our communities have taken on and achieved, and what they still aim to do.
Here are a few links for more on community-based action:
The C40 cities (almost 100 cities around the world are now a part of this organization, accounting for over 20% of the global economy),
The US-based ‘climate mayors’ which has over 450 cities, and
Check out this report from 2019 on how European cities are leading the way - from Stockholm to Porto, they have committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, and some, significantly earlier.
Moving on to:
Organizations and nonprofits:
Professional organizations associated with building, design, and real estate like:
The American Society for Civil Engineers, and of course
The US Green Building Council (home of the LEED certification)…
are working towards educating their members, providing professional certification and guidance for better design, and changing standards and codes associated with buildings and communities. All have a strong focus on climate, sustainability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
This is hugely important, because it changes the foundational expectations for how we design (and redesign) our communities. Efficient and low carbon buildings are just the start. As rising sea levels threaten urban coastlines, approaches such as incorporating water instead of protecting against it, turns water from a hazard to an asset in recreational parks and canals and so on. And communities are designing for social equity, reduced reliance on individual transportation, and increased access to nutritious food for example.
It’s a game changer if every architect, engineer, and city planner understands how we can live to reduce climate impact, and be resilient against it, as well as to provide a sustainable and equitable lifestyle for all.
Organizations focused on schools and colleges (which are often like little cities) are also charging ahead on practical application of climate and sustainable efforts:
Second Nature, (As of a year or so ago, nine campuses were entirely carbon neutral, and many had reduced emissions by major percentages)
The global Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education,
The global Eco-School program, and so many more.
Blending education with on-campus action, these organizations are supporting massive change, now and into the next generation.
There are also, of course, thousands of nonprofit organizations working for global-to-neighborhood-scale change and issue specific actions. Far too many to even begin to pick some, but their focus areas range from global sustainable agriculture, to local gardening (and edible parks!), from financing residential solar projects, to supporting climate-smart business initiatives, and of course, the large and small organizations that help to preserve biodiversity in the face of climate change, and to boost activism towards reducing our climate impact.
Businesses
On Monday (I know, such a tease! But this post would be too long….so really, I’m thinking of you), I’m going to profile how business is providing leadership. We think of large corporations and corporate activities as being part of the problem. And of course, in some senses, they can be, but the business and corporate landscape is changing dramatically - sometimes at the insistence of government, sometimes because investors are demanding it, and sometimes because….we the consumers are.
More about the power we have beyond the ballot box on Monday.
For now, I hope you have a fabulous, and hopeful weekend. And if you get a chance, just google your town’s name and ‘climate action’. I’m guessing you’ll find more than you think.
So much here in terms of useful information, inspiration, and resources to learn more. This is a post worth sharing with anyone who is involved in sustainable initiatives- or who just wants to understand more about the progress that is being made, even though we don’t always see it. Thank you, Dr. Waple!