Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Director George Hawkins of the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) George Hawkins, and Director Harriet Tregoning of the Office of Planning (OP) highlighted the District Government’s efforts to reduce climate change and spur federal investment. District officials celebrated Local Climate Action Week by distributing energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to residents of the Ward 7 community.
Local Climate Action Week marks the occasion when local officials from across the country call on President-Elect Barack Obama and Congress to invest economic recovery dollars and long-term resources to fund local government projects that stimulate the economy, create green jobs, reduce energy consumption and cut greenhouse gas emissions. As part of Local Climate Action Week, the Mayor, DDOE, OP and the Department of Public Works also distributed energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to District residents.
“We are fully committed to combating the nationwide problem of climate change,” said Mayor Fenty. “While climate change is a common challenge that must be met as one nation, the District of Columbia will continue to do its part to reduce its impact on the environment and improve energy efficiency.”
In combating climate change, the District has:
- Signed the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2007, which will bring renewable, sustainable energy options to District residents and businesses, and requires 20 percent of electricity in the District to be renewable by 2020.
- Moved forward with the rebuilding of several major commercial corridors as pedestrian- and transit-friendly “Great Streets.”
- Planned more than $400 million in energy-efficient, green school modernization for the next two years.
- Planted thousands of trees, and plans to plant 3,000 more between now and April.
- Planned to install more than 1,000 bike racks and 60 miles of bike lanes in 10 years.
- Instituted the nation’s largest green summer job corps program for students, with a major expansion to come in 2009.
- Implemented the Green Building Act, requiring all major developments to be certified as green by 2012.
- Began the nation’s first bike-sharing program, SmartBike DC, with plans to more than quadruple its size in the coming year.
- Joined other mayors in the 30 Percent Solution to make new residential developments 30 percent more energy-efficient.
- Helped more than 30,000 low-income households with their utility bills last year, with instruction and guidance on energy efficiency.
- Developed the District’s first Pedestrian Master Plan.
- Reduced the size of the District Government fleet and begun a pilot fleet-sharing program.
- Begun a comprehensive sustainability review of the District’s zoning codes.
- Begun developing a greenhouse gas inventory and a climate action plan.
- Created a Green Collar Jobs Advisory Council that conducted a market study and is about to release a set of recommendations.
- Instituted a green-collar jobs training curriculum in the DC Public Schools.
“We’re about to have the greenest federal administration in history,” said DDOE Director George Hawkins. “These are real, tangible steps our local government is taking right now to change how we do business, as one of the nation’s greenest cities.”
“In many ways, what we are doing in the District of Columbia is demonstrating how cities and towns around the country can take steps large and small to foster an emerging green economy, lower energy and transportation costs for households, and create a vibrant, convenient, exciting community where people want to live, work, and visit,” said OP Director Harriet Tregoning.
City and county leaders from the District and surrounding jurisdictions and more than 360 other local elected officials nationwide joined with Climate Communities and ICLEI USA this week to endorse Empowering Local Government Climate Action: Blueprint for the New President and 111th Congress.
The Blueprint is available at www.climatecommunities.us/endorseblueprint.html.
