“While the problem can sometimes seem overwhelming, we can turn things around — but we must move beyond climate talk to climate action.”
The link between climate change, economical scarcity and poverty is straightforward. Low income individuals and those living in poverty in our communities are especially prone to the impacts of climate change. Climate Change Solutions for Cities can reduce our contributions to global greenhouse gas levels, deal with the risks posed by climate change, and achieve economic growth and opportunity.
Transformative change is needed now in how we build our cities, produce and use energy, transport people and goods, and manage our landscapes. And the challenge is urgent.Luckily, all of the climate change solutions available to our cities represent opportunities to improve our quality of life, improve health outcomes, and provide opportunities for new jobs and economic development.
Climate Action Plan strategies that cities can implement fall into four primary categories:
Example - leading by example by implementing strategies on municipally owned facilities and operations.
Advocate - advocacy actions working for change in State and Federal policies as well as advocating for change within their own community through education and awareness campaigns.
Incentivize - these are actions the city can take to incentivize action in the private sector - these can include direct economic incentives as well as actions which remove barriers or make climate action efforts easier for businesses and individuals.
Require - actions which implement policies or ordinances which require the private sector to comply. Examples include requiring energy efficiency and renewable energy within PUD ordinance or the adoption of an energy benchmarking ordinance.
Cities and individuals can ignite the Climate Economy through a number of ways:
Energy Efficiency
Increasing energy efficiency in our homes and businesses will require workers in construction and manufacturing to support the demand. A study by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, every dollar spent on energy efficiency produces 118% of the jobs that would be produced by that same investment within the overall economy. Not only that, but the money saved by home and business owners can be invested in the local economy rather than paying for higher utility use – For the U.S. as a whole, one dollar of avoided utility bill costs has 2.24 times the effect on domestic employment and wages compared to one dollar spent on utility bills.
Renewable Energy
For every $1 spent, renewable energy produces 230% of the jobs created by fossil fuels for the same investment. Renewable energy also supports an increase in local jobs. Nearly every dollar spent on coal or natural gas energy generation is typically exported to other regions, however, at least 40% of every dollar spent on solar power can stay in the local economy for installation and maintenance jobs.
Public Transit
Investments in public transit produce 20% more jobs than the same investment in expanding road infrastructure. In addition, putting that transit investment in communities with high unemployment can produce 250% more jobs than placing that same public transit investment in low unemployment areas. Public transit also can increase access to jobs.
Job Training
The new jobs that can be made through increasing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and public transit all offer opportunity for job and skills training. Communities that focus on helping their residents develop the right skills and experiences will be more ready to act on the new job and economic opportunities presented by taking action on climate solutions.
Consumer Savings and Reinvestment
The climate action strategies which increase energy efficiency, renewable energy, public transit use (and elimination of car ownership dependency) and others all have an important economic side-effect: they save consumers money. Research indicates that strategies which reduce living expenses result in most, if not all, of that money being re-invested into the economy because most of those savings occur in the middle and lower income levels. In addition, decreased living expenses can support increased savings…and as individual savings go up, the economy is boosted (https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0310/savings-are-a-blessing-in-a-slow-recovery.aspx).
Find specific strategies with paleBLUEdot’s ACTION Finder Climate Action Database.