The goal will lay out a path for the City to reach carbon-neutrality and provide a framework for reducing emissions, helping avoid some of the worst impacts of climate change.
Baltimore has updated the goals for its Climate Action Plan, which include going carbon-neutral by 2045.
Mayor Brandon Scott has set a series of targets and the administration is also aiming for a 30 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2025, and a 60 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.
Carbon neutrality framework
The 30-60-100 goal will lay out a path for the City to reach carbon-neutrality and provide a framework for reducing emissions, helping avoid some of the worst impacts of climate change. This science-based target would be more ambitious than the current State of Maryland goal and could ensure that residents see benefits, such as savings on energy bills, sooner.
“From the start of my administration, I have made it clear that sustainability and improving the lives of all residents is a priority,” said Scott. “Ensuring that Baltimore is carbon-neutral by the earliest possible date is a key part of my administration’s work to build Clean and Healthy Communities. Our young people deserve the chance to grow up and enjoy everything that our city and our planet have to offer.”
The 2019 Sustainability Plan set a city-wide climate goal – 25 per cent reduction by 2020 and 30 per cent by 2025 relative to 2007 – and called for a commitment to become a carbon neutral city. As of 2017, the City had reduced emissions by 13 per cent and anticipates seeing a reduction of 15-20 per cent for 2020.
The Office of Sustainability is launching a two-year process to update the Climate Action Plan, including a community engagement process running through October 2022.
“Among our city’s challenges is the urgent need to respond to the climate emergency and chart a path for Baltimore toward reducing our greenhouse gas emissions while also working to adapt to existing threats, such as extreme heat and flooding,” said Lisa McNeilly, director of the Office of Sustainability. “We are being proactive and updating Baltimore’s carbon-neutrality goals to pave the way for us to tackle climate change head on.”
The community engagement process will inform the work of the Office of Sustainability to ensure that the process is done equitably and that all stakeholders – residents included – are in agreement on how best to attain carbon neutrality.
Council member Mark Conway has partnered with the Scott administration on climate action efforts. Conway recently introduced a package of sustainability related legislation that will put the City of Baltimore at the forefront of setting climate resiliency goals for the region.
“Last summer’s IPCC report highlighted the pressing need to reduce carbon emissions and implement mitigation measures to protect Baltimore from the effects of climate change,” said Conway. “Today, flooding and the urban heat island disproportionately impact underserved neighbourhoods and Black and brown communities. No tool or strategy should go unused in this fight, and the administration’s goal and accompanying benchmarks will mean Baltimore is doing its part.”
Progress made on the 2012 Climate Action Plan includes:
- in 2020, the City updated its green building codes to expand the elective requirements for each project to achieve at least 10 points from a set list of categories (for example, water and energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and site sustainability) or follow one of two zero energy paths
- in 2021, Scott adopted the Baltimore Complete Streets Manual, which will help create pedestrian- and transit-oriented neighbourhoods
- Baltimore DOT secured $50 million to support transportation enhancements for Baltimore’s east-west corridor including up to 50 new electric vehicle charging stations and an expansion of bike lanes
- Baltimore has 3 MW of on-site renewable energy generation and a 10 MW Power Purchase Agreement for solar. The City also purchases Renewable Energy Credits for compliance with Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard as part of its electricity supply contracts, which in 2022 is 20 per cent
- the Office of Sustainability works with partners to bring renewable energy into low-income communities through the Community Resiliency Hub Programme.
Clean and Healthy Communities is one of the Mayor’s priority pillars guiding the administration’s Action Plan, which was released early last month.
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Quelle/Source: Smart Cities World, 26.01.2022
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