Transcript:
Many municipalities want to cut carbon pollution and prepare for climate change. But of the nearly 200 local governments in the Cincinnati area, only three have a detailed plan to do so.
Van Sullivan is with Green Umbrella, a regional climate collaborative that’s working to change that.
They say a lack of resources and bandwidth is often to blame. Many towns have a small staff to handle everything from budgets to snow removal.
So Green Umbrella created the 25 Communities Project. It provides 25 cities and towns with training, funding, and technical support to cut emissions and prepare for climate impacts.
Sullivan: “So that the local government doesn’t feel like they have to do this work alone.”
To boost capacity, participating communities can be paired with a student fellow who will work for three months to help them advance their goals.
And the initiative will bring the communities together so they can share ideas and partner on projects.
Sullivan says the goal is to create a collaborative regional network of local governments, ready to tackle climate challenges.
Sullivan: “The issues being faced by the communities are similar. … And so it’s about not only creating individual plans but creating a culture of climate planning and collaboration that can move forward for years to come.”
Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media/ Thanks to the Midwest Climate Resilience Conference for logistical support.
