How is climate change affecting Atlanta?
Like many cities, Atlanta experiences increasing impacts due to our rapidly changing climate. As these impacts become more frequent and more intense, they exacerbate social inequalities across our city. Particularly in our most distressed neighborhoods. Recent research identified our primary climate perils as extreme heat, flooding and drought. These perils accelerate stress on our infrastructure and built and natural environments. With increased precipitation, more intense flooding pressures stormwater management. Atlanta has also experienced natural disaster declarations as severe drought impacted food systems and water availability for municipalities, industry, and wildfires. Dangerous heat waves increase the potential for negative health outcomes for our residents, especially those who must work outdoors or lack access to air conditioning. When air conditioning is available, the increase in risky heat days mixed with leaky, inefficient homes means those units need to run longer, raising energy bills. Addressing these perils requires a diverse ecosystem of organizations, agencies, and community groups.
What action are you taking to address climate change?
As Vice Chair for Climate Mayors, I am committed to advancing Atlanta¡¯s climate action leadership. As a council member, our City Council adopted a goal to achieve 100 per cent clean energy by 2035. To build upon this commitment, we are developing the city¡¯s first Climate Resilience Action Plan. This plan will be a blueprint for building our capacity to prepare, respond and adapt to our city¡¯s unique climate change impacts. Our action plan will be based on a climate resilience framework that is the result of 18 months of community input and research and developed in partnership with our Climate Resilience Advisory Board. This board represents diverse perspectives including public and private sectors, academia, youth, and residents from our most energy burdened neighborhoods. The framework established our core values and identified Atlanta¡¯s primary intervention points for climate action. Our priorities include 100 per cent clean energy, net-zero emissions, food security, reducing the energy burden and transportation electrification. We understand that the needs of all residents must be considered when developing the city¡¯s action plan for addressing climate challenges and its disproportionate impacts. We will continue to prioritize science-based analysis informed by our community to achieve our goals.
What are the benefits? Why is it important?
In the face of our rapidly changing climate, we must make smart investments in climate resilient infrastructure. This ensures that we are positioned to combat the most pressing climate challenges facing Atlanta. The benefit of successfully managing the impacts of those climate challenges means that we not only prevent those impacts from worsening, but prepare, adapt, and respond in an equitable manner that protects our natural systems, strengthens our critical infrastructure and supports upward economic mobility. When we come together, unified in our resolve to act on climate with a focus on environmental justice, the outcomes we all care about ¨C thriving neighborhoods, fresh affordable food, healthy affordable housing, economic mobility ¨C will be achieved.
