Renner Barsella, renner.barsella@sierraclub.org
DES MOINES, IA -- Today, the Polk County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to pass a resolution committing to 90% greenhouse gas emission reductions from county operations by 2040.
By passing the resolution, the county commits to begin:
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Engaging an experienced and qualified energy consulting firm to conduct a formal audit of the county’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at all county properties and vehicle fleet
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Include in the energy audit Scope of Work for the firm to provide recommendations of new practices and policies for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
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Establish measurable greenhouse gas emissions reduction and renewable energy targets for Polk County with formal recommendations for implementation in fiscal year 2022/2023
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Address the concerns of the underrepresented and vulnerable communities during the climate action planning process
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Launch a cross-departmental Climate Action Team
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Develop a Climate Action Plan to meet the greenhouse gas reduction and renewable energy targets
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Implement the plan and ensure measurements are being properly reported and communicated to the community
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Continuously monitor and report progress of the Climate Action Plan
In response, Sierra Club released the following statements:
“While the resolution is a step forward and we appreciate the board for their attention to this important challenge, we had pushed for a stronger resolution that included greenhouse gas emission inventory and goals based on the entire county versus limiting the scope to Polk County operations. We are hoping this is only the first step and that the board will continue to find ways to help the entire county reduce greenhouse emissions and to prioritize projects that will shield the county’s most vulnerable residents from the harmful effects of future erratic weather that are inevitable with climate change.” Kim Hagemann, Sierra Club volunteer
“Today’s resolution is a great step forward for Polk county. Despite all the challenges of this year, and on the heels of Des Moines passing the strongest clean energy standard at the start of 2021, these leaders know climate cannot wait. The steps the county will begin taking towards this goal will make Polk county a resilient place to live in the face of climate change. But clean buildings and clean transportation are dependent on clean electricity. We hope Polk county can become a partner with us in calling for the retirement of coal power in Iowa.” Katie Rock, Sierra Club Campaign Representative, Iowa Beyond Coal
“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that the risks and costs of climate change grow in severity with greater levels of greenhouse gas emissions. This effort by Polk County to cut greenhouse gasses will help stabilize the climate giving my grandchildren a safer world to live in.” Deborah Neustadt, Sierra Club volunteer
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, 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.