Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Climate Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Consultant presents Maplewood draft climate mitigation plan, targets 46% cut by 2036
Summary
Pale Blue Dot consultant Ted Redmond and Sustainability Coordinator Sean Finwell presented a draft climate mitigation plan that sets a 2036 interim target (46% below 2013 levels), a net‑zero 2050 goal, sector strategies for transportation, buildings and waste, and a public comment period through April 1.
Consultant Ted Redmond of Pale Blue Dot and Maplewood Sustainability Coordinator Sean Finwell presented a draft climate mitigation plan to the Parks & Recreation Commission, outlining sector strategies, community survey results, and implementation steps.
Redmond said the plan uses a 2013 baseline and reports 2022 emissions of about "410,000 metric tons," with transportation responsible for roughly half of citywide emissions, buildings accounting for about 47–48%, and solid waste about 2%. The plan organizes work into three sector goals (transportation and land use; buildings and energy; waste management), 14 strategies and 55 actions designed for a 10‑year implementation window. "Our interim goal is to reduce citywide emissions 46% below 2013 levels by 2036," Redmond said, adding the long‑range target is net zero by 2050.
Redmond and Finwell described community engagement in the plan’s development — an extended public survey with about 150 responses showing strong concern about climate change and broad support for local action — and said staff and a collaborative planning team reviewed and refined the draft. Redmond presented estimated communitywide cumulative cost savings of roughly $180,000,000 over 10 years if households and businesses adopt efficiency and electrification measures identified in the plan.
Commissioners asked whether the plan’s emphasis on increased transit use implied acquiring electric buses; Redmond said Metro Transit has fleet‑cleaning goals and the plan focuses on encouraging mode shift, even as transit fleets continue to decarbonize. On waste management, Redmond described Ramsey County’s green bag organics program and demonstrated how residents can put organics in green bags that are pulled out at a sorting facility.
The draft plan is posted for public review through April 1; Redmond said the consultant and staff will present the draft to the city council in a workshop on Monday, return to the Environmental Commission for a May 13 presentation, and aim for final council consideration on June 8. The commission and staff encouraged commissioners and community groups to share the review URL and QR code to gather more input.
The presentation focused on strategies and options; no formal commission action was recorded at the meeting. Further refinements will follow public input and staff review.
