Rebekah Whilden, Sierra Club – rebekah.whilden@sierraclub.org, (202) 675-2391
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mayor Muriel Bowser pledged this week to make Washington, D.C. carbon-neutral and climate resilient by 2050. The announcement came while Mayor Bowser was attending the North American Climate Summit in Chicago.
Mayor Bowser announced that D.C. will:
• develop a plan to make D.C. greenhouse gas emission neutral by 2050;
• demonstrate how the city will adapt and improve its resilience to climate hazards that may impact the city now and in future climate change scenarios; and
• outline the wider social, environmental, and economic benefits derived from implementing the plan, as well as how the city will approach implementation of the plan.
“Washington, DC is proud to be one of the many cities across North America – and around the globe – that is making climate change a top priority,” said Mayor Bowser. “Today, by making this pledge, we are backing up our DC values with action. It is in the best interest of our country’s safety, economy, and future to take climate change seriously, and we will not let federal inaction hinder our progress.”
“We applaud Mayor Bowser for pledging that D.C. will stop net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” said Mark Rodeffer, Chair of the Sierra Club’s D.C. Chapter. “We look forward to hearing the administration's specific plans to meet this target, and are eager to work with the mayor to identify how we will achieve carbon neutrality.”
The commitment to become carbon-neutral and climate resilient by 2050 is the latest action the Bowser Administration has taken to prepare for climate change and ensure Washington, D.C. is sustainable and resilient for future generations.
Since coming into office, Mayor Bowser’s Administration launched Climate Ready DC, a plan to adapt to changing climate; released a draft of the Clean Energy DC plan to cut carbon emissions with renewable energy and energy efficiency; introduced legislation to establish the DC Green Bank which will help create jobs, expand solar power, lower energy costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; finalized the largest municipal wind power purchase agreement deal of its kind in the United States; and began work on the largest onsite municipal solar generation in the country. Earlier this year, the Administration launched Sustainable DC 2.0, a collaborative city wide effort to update the District’s landmark sustainability plan.
Washington, D.C. has now joined 25 other C40 member cities in committing to the goal of becoming carbon-neutral and climate resilient by 2050. C40 is recognized as the leading global network of cities committed to addressing climate change in order to improve the health of our people, our cities, and our planet.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.