Equitable Cities Consulting Charts Climate Change Path for Cities: A Healthy Economy depends on a Clean Environment

About a month has passed since Hurricane Ida hit the U.S., causing unprecedented devastation. In New Orleans, one of my college roommates, along with more than 100,000 other New Orleanians, was without power for weeks. In New York, a colleague literally had to force open his front door and swim through ravines of sewage-infested water to escape his flooded ground floor apartment. In my own hometown of Philadelphia, a major highway that crosses the city suddenly became a canal (see the photo associated with this article on my blog landing page). Global warming has gone from being a threat and a fear in the back of people’s minds to being a reality that many people can say they have personally experienced and survived.

The countless unexpected, catastrophic weather incidents of 2021 make it glaringly clear that the climate change crisis is upon us and we will all suffer from its consequences. The recent storms, fires, and tornadoes have already claimed thousands of lives and wreaked trillions of dollars in damage and devastation.

The direct impact and damage has jolted cities into realizing that they must accelerate existing plans and grow new programs to stem the tide of future weather events.

C40, a network of the world’s megacities committed to addressing climate change, has been convening and supporting cities to collaborate effectively, share knowledge, and drive meaningful, measurable, and sustainable action on climate change since 2005. In the summer of 2021, C40 commissioned three regional studies (U.S., Europe, and South Africa) on the topic of ‘Just Transition’ – strategies that cities can adopt to further efforts in building equitable, clean, and thriving local economies. Equitable Cities Consulting, in collaboration with Circular Philadelphia, was honored to have been selected to author the U.S. regional report.

The U.S. report illustrates how the concept of Just Transition has evolved over the years from being focused primarily on ensuring a fair and equitable transition for workers in high-carbon jobs, to a more holistic concept, centered around ending the “extractive economy” (the current predominant economic model that prioritizes the accumulation, concentration and enclosure of wealth and power, often at the expense of the environment and by undervaluing workers) and transforming society and economic systems into a “regenerative economy” (which puts the premium on ecological restoration, community resilience and social equity). The report describes key concepts and themes such as these, and lays out a multitude of recommendations for cities to build a Just Transition agenda. Importantly, the report stresses that the people who are most affected by pollution – the frontline workers in predominantly Black and brown fenceline communities (workers and community members who live adjacent to polluting industries) should be in the leadership of groups crafting policy solutions. Municipal governments should engage as many local stakeholders as possible so they can then elevate their unique platform to the state and federal level to attract financial resources so that locally supported goals can be achieved.

A myriad of U.S. cities, small and large, including Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Austin, Jackson, Orlando and more, are implementing programs to curb global warming. The report highlights some of these examples, as well as national alliances, such as the Climate Mayors Network and the US Conference of Mayors Alliance for a Sustainable Future, that can provide resources for mayors committed to climate change.

Below are key recommendations for cities, with many more to peruse in the full report: 

·       In partnership with the workforce development board, local job training programs, and employers, develop an inventory of all local or regional high-carbon jobs that are likely to be eliminated/redeployed in the next decade;

·       Partner with workforce development board, local job training programs, and employers to develop proactive workforce development programs that provide reskilling or redeployment for impacted workers;

·       Apply a sustainability lens to all workforce development programs, and to sector or industry cluster strategies;

·       Develop a green jobs plan for all job-creating initiatives that will be carried out in a transition to a cleaner economy; Consider developing incentive programs for employers that create eligible “good, green jobs”;

·       Join a peer network and participate in professional development opportunities (e.g. National League of Cities Sustainability and Resilience Initiative, US Conference of Mayors Alliance for a Sustainable Future, Urban Sustainability Directors Network;

·       Carry out an equity mapping exercise to understand which communities face the highest burdens and are the most vulnerable in today’s economy and during a transition to a cleaner economy and develop programs prioritizing those most at risk;

·       Create a clean economy community advisory board with ample representation from frontline and fenceline communities (like the board that managed Portland’s Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund);

·       Integrate an equity-focused sustainability plan into any other comprehensive city or regional plans, such as Orlando did with its Master Plan;

·       Acknowledge systemic inequities and commit to correcting past injustices as part of any plans, announcements or engagement activities;

·       Work with public finance experts to develop financial projections for capital and operational expenses needed for the next decade of investments toward clean energy;

·       Work closely with local legislators to determine potential revenue sources to cover such expenses;

·       Discuss projections with the employers that will be part of the transition to clean energy to gain a clear understanding of the infrastructure costs that private industry is planning and willing to cover;

·       Develop a Clean Energy or Just Transition Fund to support workforce development.

In addition to the recommendations listed above, C40’s Knowledge Hub, featuring the three regional reports, provides a wealth of case studies, best practices and lessons learned that cities can borrow from.

Equitable Cities Consulting is committed to supporting cities in developing inclusive, thriving economies and we stress the importance of both a racial equity and a climate change lens for any economic development strategy. It cannot be overstated: the greatest existing threat to achieving the goal of an inclusive and equitable city is climate change. Simply put, climate imperiled cities cannot succeed in becoming equitable places to live; natural disasters threaten both the physical safety and economic prosperity of all residents and will be especially damaging to those who already live in poverty. Every city requires a bespoke approach, informed by local needs and opportunities, to confront this urgent challenge. Leaders must swiftly adopt new paradigms for urban development in all facets – economics, housing, infrastructure, and education. It won’t be easy, but through bold, collective action and strategic investments, we can build thriving equitable cities that ensure a healthy future for generations to come.