Rockville joined the ranks of hundreds of U.S. cities on Jan. 10 as the Mayor and Council approved the city’s first plan for addressing climate change.
The Climate Action Plan sets forth 26 community actions and 16 city actions to reduce climate-warming pollution and foster resilience, especially for the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.
The plan calls for electric vehicle readiness, increased transit, bicycle and pedestrian travel, improved energy efficiency for buildings, increasing solar installations and renewable energy, reducing waste, and fostering sustainable land use. It also proposes actions to protect people, infrastructure and the environment from heat waves, flooding risk and severe storms, like what Rockville experienced when remnants of Hurricane Ida swept through the region in September.
“I am so pleased that, unanimously, we have approved a plan that will move Rockville forward in our efforts to mitigate negative impacts on our environment,” Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton said. “By planning today, we hope to ensure a better tomorrow for everyone.”
The Mayor and Council also adopted a resolution to transition the city’s fleet to clean, efficient fuel sources. This resolution sets a phased plan to electrify the city’s light-duty fleet and deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
While city leadership is critical, reaching the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2030 will be a communitywide endeavor. Every resident, visitor and business can participate.
“We look forward to continue working closely with our community partners to help make this plan a success,” said Amanda Campbell, the city’s sustainability coordinator.
Over the past year, the city received more than 600 community comments through surveys, open houses and other input that helped guide and strengthen the plan.
Find video of the Mayor and Council vote with the Jan. 10 agenda at www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter.
For more information about the plan, visit www.rockvillemd.gov/climate.