Charlotte's new climate goals aim to balance reducing emissions with community improvement
Council originally set climate benchmarks in 2018, and the city established the Strategic Energy Action Plan to meet those goals by tracking and reducing the city's greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to cleaner sources of electricity.
The updated version, known as the Strategic Energy Action Plan Plus, expands on those goals by setting a benchmark to transition its entire light-duty fleet and cut citywide emissions by 72% by 2035, then reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
ALSO READ: Charlotte adjusts city-wide climate goals as 2030 deadline approaches
Additionally, Heather Bolick, the city's chief sustainability officer, explained that the new plan also focuses far more on climate adaptation and ways to make green technology more accessible to those who live and work in the city.
'One thing that we found through our engagement that was really important to the community was things like tree canopy and also reducing waste,' she said. 'We need more shade. We need a cooler city.'
Bolick explained a city study found Charlotte is experiencing triple the high heat days that it experienced on average 30 years ago, so finding ways to improve shade or reflect the heat rather than absorb it is an important part of the city's plan moving forward.
'We have concrete instead of asphalt,' she explained. 'We have cool roofs, and that reflects the heat back up into the atmosphere.'
The largest portion of the city's emissions comes from transportation, particularly road and rail. While Bolick explains the city is working to cut down on that through replacing its fleet with electric vehicles, adding more charging infrastructure, and advocating for the county transit plan to reduce car dependency.
The Peppertree Apartments are benefiting from another city's strategy. A partnership between the complex, a mobility nonprofit, and the city, Peppertree Apartments, launched an EV carshare program about three months ago.
As property manager Meg Martin explains, the program allows residents, many of whom make below the area median income, to reserve and drive one of the on-site EVs for less than the cost of an Uber or Lyft.
'A lot of our residents don't have actual vehicles, but they have a driver's license,' she said. 'This gives them a chance if they need to go to the doctors, if they need to go grocery shopping, or if they need to get their child to and from daycare.'
From the city's perspective, it's a win-win, allowing more families access to affordable point-to-point transportation while reducing emissions and making green technology more accessible. Bolick said the city hopes to get more programs like this off the ground, including the Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg program, which aims to make residential and community solar more affordable to residents across the city.
In the meantime, Bolick said the city is continuing to try and get all its electricity from zero-carbon sources by 2030 by building up its own solar generation. In the end, though, she said Charlotte can't meet its ambitious goals unless there's buy-in from local residents and businesses.
'The past six years we've been putting policy in place, programs, really setting ourselves up to get ourselves going,' she said. 'Now we're asking our community to come with us.'
VIDEO: Charlotte adjusts city-wide climate goals as 2030 deadline approaches
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Battery site plan blocked after 1,000 objections
Plans for an energy storage plant have been blocked for a second time after more than 1,000 people objected. Harmony Energy faced renewed opposition to proposals for the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on land off Newton Lane, between Ledston and Allerton Bywater near Leeds. Harmony said the development would help tackle climate change and stabilise energy supplies by storing electricity for future use. Leeds City Council planning panel members passed a motion not to accept a recommendation from council officers to approve the application. 'Green belt harm' Earlier this month, more than 1,200 residents, along with MPs and councillors, objected to other proposals by Harmony to install 72 containers storing lithium ion batteries on farmland at Heath near Wakefield. Leeds City Council initially refused planning permission for the Allerton Bywater proposals in November 2023 after environmental and fire safety fears were raised, along with the impact on green belt land. A plans panel was told national planning policy changes meant the site could now be downgraded to "grey belt" – deemed less environmentally important. But that was disputed by action group Save our Villages and council leader James Lewis, who represents Kippax and Methley. Lewis told the panel: "I don't believe this site is grey belt and therefore the harm to green belt, which this site is, should be a reason for refusal." Objector Adrian Appleyard said a fire at the site could see contaminated water run off in to Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve, 400m away, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Harmony's Tessa Fletcher said the company had an excellent safety record and the BESS would have the capacity to power thousands of homes. She said: "As a nation we are legally bound to reduce carbon emissions and must do so at pace." A final decision will be made after a report is drawn up on detailed reasons for refusal and the chances of losing an appeal. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. More on this story More than 1,000 objections to battery storage sites Battery storage plan approved despite objections UK's largest battery energy storage site goes live Related internet links Leeds City Council
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
'Devastated' family-run tea room fights back over double yellow line plan in village
The "devastated" owners of a County Durham tea room are fighting back against plans to add double yellow lines in their village - fearing it will put off punters. The Quarry Tea House, in Hunwick, has been going from "strength to strength' since rebranding from The Quarry Burn four years ago. But the Hemlington Square deli now faces a battle after Durham Council announced plans to add double yellow lines directly outside and on nearby streets. The council said the bid, which is only in the planning stages, is in response to complaints from residents over concerns about parking and the risk of an accident. But Julie Bell, who runs The Quarry Tea House with husband Martin, 55, fears the plans could deter people from coming because they have no parking facilities, leaving visitors having to use on-street parking. The 51-year-old wants to work with villagers to 'oppose these restrictions every step of the way' while coming up with a solution to the parking problems. The Quarry Tea House in Hunwick, near Crook (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) She said: 'I do not think the yellow lines will help because a lot of residents park there too. 'The council added white lines and dropped kerbs, but nobody adhered to them and they still park over them - the dropped kerbs are covered by cars.' Julie, who has lived in the village all her life, thinks the answer could be a car park. She said: 'We need to find a solution and to try to work with the residents. 'We are bringing people to the village and it is an asset to the village. [The yellow lines] could deter people from coming to us. The approximate location of proposed yellow lines in Hunwick (Image: GOOGLE)'We need a village car park for residents and for visitors - but some say they don't want to lose the village green and said there should be parking bays.' Julie, who is a mum-of-two to Grace, 19, and Taylor, 23, said she first found out about the plans after receiving a letter from the council last week. The letter described how the scheme was hoping to 'reduce congestion and improve visibility at the proposed location'. She said: 'When I first got it, I half expected it. There's been a lot of complaints previously, I knew something was going to have to be done. But Julie is concerned about the impact on the tea room, which employs between 12 and 15 staff members, boasts two beauty rooms upstairs, and is getting 'busier and busier'. She has since organised a meeting with local councillors. 'We don't want to upset any residents', she said. 'We just want to work with them all. The Quarry Tea House (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) 'There has been a lot of support, which is why we have gone to social media. A lot of people are saying they will never stop coming.' Staff member Katie Butler, 42, who also opposes the plans, said: 'I just think it needs to be a solution for the village. It is a small village - we need a solution for everybody. Hunwick (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) 'Everything has outgrown itself, the village has outgrown itself. We get a lot more people on weekends and school holidays. 'But we cannot be responsible for the way people park.' Katie, who has worked there for 22 years, said she thinks the village could benefit from spaces that everybody could use: 'A car park would be great - we don't have the space. 'The residents will benefit from extra parking spaces.' Residents feel parking woes - but plan 'will make no difference' While the tea room is against the plans, it has sparked a mixed response from residents. Dale Gould, who has multiple sclerosis and lives near the green, says he understands the plans and hopes it will help him continue to easily get to his home. The 55-year-old said: 'It is the way people park. They park on both sides of the road itself and it is very hard to pass the gap they have left. 'I have multiple sclerosis and I need easy access.' The village green in Hunwick (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) But the Hunwick resident said he understands the tea room's concerns, and thinks it needs parking spaces of their own, adding: 'There is a little bit of a space opposite the tea room that would be spot on for a parking space. 'They get a lot of people because it has got a hell of a reputation. A car park would be good but mostly for customers.' However, one married couple, who have lived in the village for 50 years and wished to remain anonymous, said they can't see it making any difference. 'All they are going to do is put yellow down here and move the cars over there', the man said. His 70-year-old wife added: 'Many times we have nowhere to park. We have to carry out shopping from up [the road] and it is difficult. 'We understand the yellow lines at the junctions because people do park at the junctions and that is a problem. It is getting worse, car parking, and a car park would solve problems.' Her husband, who is also aged 70 and disabled, noted how the tea room was great for the village, but understood the concerns over parking. He said: 'If there is nowhere to park, then that's the trouble. 'Sometimes I can't get past myself - and if emergency service vehicles come down they will struggle. Some have even gone across the grass.' Lines are 'in response to complaints' Plans seen by The Echo show how yellow lines would be added along one side of Hall View and Oxford Street, along junctions on West End, and outside the tea room. If approved, and so long as there are no loading restrictions, people will still be able to park over lines for as long as necessary if they are "actively dropping off, picking up, loading, and unloading, vehicles". Meanwhile, blue badge holders can park for three hours on double yellow lines, so long as there are no loading restrictions and they are not causing an obstruction. Dave Lewin, the council's strategic traffic manager, said: 'The proposed measures of double yellow lines in Hunwick are in response to complaints we have received since 2022 from residents over parking in the area, and the risk of an accident. "The works would formalise the existing white, advisory, keep-clear marks on junctions into Helmington Square, Oakfield and Oxford Street. Read more: Review to be launched into 'reckless' scrapping of town's free hour parking Plans to extend town's Aldi supermarket into chemist next door move forward Diggers move in as work gets underway on controversial new McDonald's drive-thru "Restrictions are also proposed on the eastern side of Oxford Street to maintain traffic flow in this area by ensuring one side of the road is kept clear. 'The double yellow lines would keep these junctions clear to improve road safety and ensure dropped kerbs in the area are accessible. "The scheme is still in the planning stages, so we welcome any comments from residents with any relevant concerns over the proposals.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
U.S. slaps 20.56% anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber
The U.S. Commerce Department has decided to hike anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent, with B.C. lumber organizations calling them unjustified, punitive and protectionist. The hiked softwood lumber duties come amid the growing trade war between Canada and the U.S., and represent the latest blow to B.C.'s beleaguered forestry industry. B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar described the long-awaited rate hike as a "gut punch" for B.C.'s forestry industry which has seen thousands of workers laid off over the last few years. "U.S. President Donald Trump has made it his mission to destroy Canada's economy, and there is no sector that has faced more of that than the forestry sector," he told CBC News. "This is a big deal for our workers. This is going to have a significant impact. It will lead to curtailments," he added. The B.C. government has been urging the federal government to prioritize the softwood lumber industry in trade discussions with the U.S., and Parmar said the hiked duties would also impact U.S. homeowners needing lumber to rebuild or renovate their homes. "This is going to mean that Americans, in particular middle-class Americans, are going to be paying more to the tune of $15,000 to $20,000 more USD to purchase or to build a home." The B.C. Lumber Trade Council says in a statement that if the U.S. department's pending review on countervailing duties is in line with its preliminary results, the combined rate against Canadian softwood shipped to the United States will be well over 30 per cent. In April, the preliminary combined rate on Canadian softwood lumber was reported to be 34.45 per cent, up from the previous 14.54 per cent. Friday's decision is a final determination, with Parmar saying it would go into effect in the U.S. Federal Register shortly.U.S. lumber producers have long maintained that Canadian stumpage fees, for harvesting on Crown land, are an unfair government subsidy. B.C.'s Independent Wood Processors Association says in a statement that the U.S. Commerce Department's decision this week to raise duties also includes a requirement for Canadian companies to retroactively remit duties for products shipped to the United States since Jan.1, 2023. WATCH | B.C. premier urges feds to prioritze lumber deal: Association chair Andy Rielly says in a statement that the requirement to pay duties on products shipped in the last 31 months could not only force small B.C. producers to shut down, but may also threaten operators' personal assets as they may have to risk using their homes as collateral to secure bonds to pay. Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this month that a future trade agreement with the United States could include quotas on softwood lumber, an area that has caused friction between the two countries for years before the latest trade war. Producer urges province to change conditions The United States has long been the single largest market for B.C. lumber exports, representing over half the market for the approximately $10-billion industry. But amid a series of challenges for the province's forestry industry — including a mountain pine beetle infestation that has killed hundreds of thousands of trees — mills have been closing around the province in recent years, and major forestry companies are opening up new mills in the United States. In 2023, numbers from Statistics Canada showed B.C. had lost more than 40,000 forest-sector jobs since the early 1990s. Kim Haakstad, the CEO of the B.C. Council of Forest Industries, said the B.C. government should work to improve the production environment in the province to prevent future mill closures. In a statement, the council said that by activating timber sales, fast-tracking permits and cutting through regulatory gridlock, the province could send a signal that it is serious about rebuilding a sustainable forest argued that if the industry could get production levels back to historic levels, it could help keep forestry-dependent communities vibrant into the future. "That will bring more than $300 million to the provincial government, as well, to help address the deficit situation we're in," Haakstad said. Kurt Niquidet, the president of the B.C. Lumber Trade Council, highlighted that Trump also has initiated a federal investigation into the U.S. imports of lumber and timber citing "national security," which could further impact B.C.'s forestry industry when combined with the tariffs. "Softwood lumber is quite important for the United States. They can only supply about 70 per cent of their softwood lumber demand, and they're importing 30 per cent from elsewhere," he told CBC News. "25 per cent of that's really coming from Canada, and British Columbia is the largest softwood lumber producer within Canada."
