By Councilwoman Debra Stark, Phoenix District 3
The City of Phoenix is currently working to update its Climate Action Plan (CAP), which will serve as a long-term plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from local operations and community activities as well as prepare for the impact of climate change.
The plan will include ideas and input from Phoenix residents and business owners. This past summer, the city engaged the community to help inform actions the city and community can take to address climate change. We look forward to the additional community workshops that will take place in the spring as we continue to develop the plan.
Last year, the City of Phoenix was inducted to the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), a network of 96 cities around the world whose leaders are committed to action to mitigate climate change. As a requirement to be a member of the C40 Cities, Phoenix must develop a C40-compliant Climate Action Plan that will provide a higher level of detail and scope for further reducing GHG emissions. Staff from many city departments are involved in developing this updated plan. The completed plan will be presented to council for approval by the end of 2021.
A Climate Action Plan is a detailed and strategic framework for measuring, planning, and reducing GHG emissions and related climatic impacts. Cities design and utilize CAPs as customized roadmaps for making informed decisions and understanding where and how to achieve the largest and most cost-effective emissions reductions that are in alignment with other city sustainability goals.
CAPs include goals and specific actions for reducing GHG emissions from various activities organized into sectors, which include stationary energy, transportation, and waste. The Phoenix CAP will also include Phoenix specific topics, such as air quality, food systems, heat, and water.
The updated Climate Action Plan will be completed by the end of 2021. To access a draft of the plan and view community feedback, visit phoenix.gov/oep/climate. For questions, comments, suggestions, or to sign up for the Climate Action mailing list, email [email protected].
