EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The East Grand Rapids City Commission has adopted a Climate Action Plan.
It outlines how operations staff can achieve a transition to carbon neutrality by 2040.
Some of the plan's recommendations include converting remaining streetlights and building lights to L.E.D., adding additional solar arrays, ensuring a de-carbonization of the electric grid and implementing smart-sensing technology to increase building efficiency.
Here are more details mentioned in a Sabo P.R. news release:
East Grand Rapids, Michigan, December 4, 2024 – The East Grand Rapids City Commission unanimously adopted the City’s Climate Action Plan, an outline for how City operations can achieve a transition to carbon neutrality by 2040 and help mitigate the impacts from climate change, at its Dec. 2 meeting.
The Climate Action Plan provides City leadership a clear path to reduce its emissions from natural gas combustion from all City-owned buildings and operations, gasoline and diesel fuel combustion from the City’s vehicle fleet and purchased electricity from City buildings, operations and streetlights. The plan outlines actionable steps and potential partnership recommendations to reduce emissions and transition to cleaner energy sources to meet the 2040 goal.
“East Grand Rapids is a longtime leader in environmental sustainability, and this action by the City Commission formalizes our plan to reach carbon neutrality,” Mayor Katie Favale said. “We owe it to our residents and community at large to ensure access to a safe and healthy environment.
“Climate change is a serious threat to all communities, and our climate action work is a commitment that the City of East Grand Rapids will do its part in the global effort to combat
The Climate Action Plan also acknowledges the City’s past and current initiatives that have supported its transition to cleaner energy and reduced emissions over the years.
“The adoption of the Climate Action Plan builds upon previous initiatives and programs we have completed to reduce our carbon footprint,” East Grand Rapids City Manager Shea Charles said. “We hope our actions will inspire other municipalities to adopt similar measures. Together, we can create a lasting impact so future generations can continue to enjoy our communities.”
In addition to the Climate Action Plan, some of the City’s recent sustainability initiatives include:
- Installing solar panels on all City-owned buildings.
- Continuing and expanding the resident food scrap composting program.
- Improving bicycle access and rideability with the Mobility-Bike Action Plan.
- Becoming the first municipality in the state to join DTE Energy’s CleanVision Natural Gas Balance program, which further helps reduce the City’s carbon output.
- Purchasing three Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks to help electrify the City’s current vehicle fleet.
For its climate initiatives, East Grand Rapids has been recognized for environmental leadership by Michigan Green Communities for the past two years. It has also been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for the past 10 years in recognition of its care and maintenance of public trees, including a tree-planting program that shares costs with residents.
The 2040 goal puts the City a decade ahead of the state of Michigan’s carbon neutrality goal of 2050.
The Climate Action Plan can be viewed here.
For more information about the City’s environmental programs, visit eastgrmi.gov/221/Public-Works.
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