Rebecca Evans to Speak on Sept. 17
Rebecca Evans, the City of Ithaca sustainability director, will present an overview of the community’s draft climate action plan at the upcoming quarterly meeting.
Last year, Evans announced she wanted to move towards an action plan with a more “human element.” The previous version of the plan focused heavily on decarbonization efforts.
Evans has replaced the older effort with what she says is a more “holistic” approach to climate action, emphasizing adaptation and resilience to ongoing climate impacts.
Recommendations in the new draft plan include improving flood resiliency and subsidizing flood insurance, working to stabilize housing costs, supporting workforce development, extending labor protections, and strengthening tenants rights.
Evans has said the city will not abandon any of the earlier Ithaca Green New Deal goals, but instead the current draft reframes how it will achieve those goals.
The new climate action plan will encompass what Evans sees as the five sectors of climate justice: labor, housing, emergency response and evacuation, racial equity, and electrical reliability.
By focusing on adaptation and resilience, Evans hopes the strategy to tackle climate change will become more tangible. Working with the city’s Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission, Evans has been holding listening sessions to receive input from the public.
Be sure to attend the 2030 District quarterly meeting on Sept. 17 to hear about the new draft action plan, ask questions, and offer feedback on it.