Sustainability
The Climate Justice Plan that the City released in 2019 was crafted with inclusive community feedback and resulted in a clear framework to move Providence towards carbon neutrality by 2050. Last year, the State of Rhode Island passed its own Act on Climate that establishes similar priorities to reduce the devastating impacts of climate change on our State. In order to reach these ambitious and necessary goals and benchmarks, City Hall needs to lead by example.
That includes converting our fleet, particularly our school buses, to electric vehicles.
As Mayor, Brett pledges to convert 100% of our school buses to electric by 2040 and will start to convert our municipal buildings to renewable electrical and heating supplies. This will require major investments over time and retrofitting and rebuilding with sustainable solutions.
Climate justice and community resiliency is an equity issue. We see this especially in access to sustainable and accessible transportation options that reduce carbon emissions and increase mobility in underserved communities. Community resilience also means protecting our city from the impacts of climate change. That can come in many forms but, as a city with so much coastline, we must be particularly aware and innovative. Our rivers have incredible potential and deserve to be protective and maintained in the wake of rising tides and temperatures.
Brett knows that to meet these goals, collaborative and equitable approaches with government partners, private developers, small businesses and Providence residents will need to be developed and deployed quickly. Our neighborhoods are disproportionately impacted by decades of poor air quality, exposure to emissions and poor healthcare access. They deserve a better tomorrow, but, in order to become a carbon neutral city by 2050 and mitigate the impending impacts of climate change on our community, we must act today.