City details climate goals and programs, plans to hire chief sustainability officer and expand energy work

City sustainability staff presented an extensive update Aug. 27 describing municipal greenhouse-gas targets, planned staffing, and department-level initiatives to reduce emissions and improve climate resilience.

Miss Wilkinson (sustainability staff) told commissioners the city’s municipal greenhouse-gas (GHG) reduction targets are an 85% reduction by 2030 (from a 2008 baseline) and 100% by 2040; community-wide targets (from a 2019 baseline) include a 62.8% per-capita reduction by 2030 and 100% by 2050. Wilkinson said city operations account for roughly 2.2% of community emissions and noted staff will use operational purchases, grants and programs to reduce city emissions while collaborating regionally on community targets.

Staff described near-term staffing and funding: the city plans to recruit a chief sustainability officer in the fall, hire an energy and carbon specialist and an education & engagement specialist (the latter two partially funded by EGLE and the Wege Foundation), and participate in Michigan’s AmeriCorps Healthy Climate Core Program for a community energy coordinator. Wilkinson said the city accepted a grant to fund one administrative analyst position in the equitable healthy and zero-carbon buildings initiative.

Departmental initiatives presented included a Butterworth Solar site analysis and upcoming RFP for behind-the-meter solar; a push for additional EV chargers and fleet electrification (the city’s electric sedans rose from 9 to 25 in FY24 and the fleet is ~43% low/no-emission); a renewable natural gas and phosphorus recovery program at Environmental Services; green infrastructure and stormwater resiliency projects (bank restoration, porous pavement, bioswales); and a proposed extension of the bike network that could add ~9.5 miles of protected bike facilities. Wilkinson also described a $250,000 home renovation pilot to test energy-efficiency upgrades and track health and economic outcomes.

Commissioners asked for lists of community partners and clarifications on LEED policy updates, electric vehicle charging station siting, and the city’s REC (REX) purchases that the city has used to meet near-term renewable energy goals. Finance staff (Matthews) later explained the city used an initially earmarked $250,000 to purchase two years’ worth of REX (to cover FY25–FY26) and that staff will return with options for a longer-term approach and local REC participation with utilities.

What’s next: staff said they expect to complete a Climate Risk & Vulnerability Assessment in September 2024, continue public engagement on a draft Climate Action Adaptation Plan, and bring proposed building-focused policies and pilots (including a zero-carbon buildings program) to city leadership this fall.

Provenance: sustainability briefing introduced SEG 2190; Q&A and REC detail concluded SEG 2948.