Climate Action at the Sustainable City Commission

The Sustainable City Commission received an update on the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) from the Planning Bureau last week. Commissioners and the public expressed their support of the initiative and their hopes for the City’s future and its fight against climate change. In the same meeting, Maple Village Waldorf School was recognized as a Green Business and was presented with a certificate in recognition of its achievements towards sustainability. Watch the full meeting online.

The Maple Village School was recognized at the beginning of the meeting. Staff, parents, and students are all committed to integrating sustainability into everything they do; student lunches are zero waste, cleaning supplies are homemade or green certified, and 70% of families get to school each day by walking, biking, or carpooling. You can find the full presentation about Maple Village online. The Green Business Recognition Program was created to recognize sustainable actions by local businesses, and encourage further efforts towards sustainable practices. The program will re-launch in 2018. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, or sign up to our email list for updates on this program.

Following the recognition, Planning Bureau staff gave a presentation about the CAAP including what the planning process consists of, and where they are now. The CAAP consists of two main sections, Climate Action, which is about reducing and reversing our impact on the climate, and Climate Adaptation, which looks at predictions of climate change impacts and creates strategies to protect our communities. The CAAP is a 2-year process, which began earlier this year. The process includes conducting a greenhouse gas inventory, which will provide insight into how the city can reduce its emissions. The CAAP will also include a vulnerability assessment to determine what areas and infrastructure are the most vulnerable to climate impacts. With public input, this information will be used to create adaptation strategies. Staff and consultants have engaged working groups of scientists, business owners, and community leaders to contribute in the early stages of plan development. The first public input meeting to collect comments and suggestions for adaptation strategies is planned for early 2018. Sign up on LinkLB and check the Climate Action LB website regularly for updates on how to get involved in the Plan.