Mayor Nirenberg’s Statement On Passage Of Climate Plan In San Antonio

From the City of San Antonio:

October 17, 2019

Mayor Nirenberg’s Statement On Passage Of Climate Plan In San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 17, 2019) — Mayor Ron Nirenberg issued the following statement upon passage of the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan:

“Today’s vote is a critical for the future of our city. In no simpler terms, here and around the world, we are in the midst of a climate emergency.

In San Antonio, we do not need to imagine what climate change looks like, the impacts are already being felt: longer and more intense heat, more frequent and extreme weather events, flooding, extended drought… The economic loss alone is staggering.

In 2017, one of my first acts as Mayor, supported by many of my colleagues on this dais, was to commit San Antonio to the goals outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement -- agreeing to help limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius in this century./p>

In doing so, we’ve developed a Climate Action & Adaptation Plan that sets the bold goal of making San Antonio carbon neutral by 2050.

And though the future of our political climate may be fraught with uncertainties, we will commit to chart a path forward for environmental clarity.v

And though the future of our political climate may be fraught with uncertainties, we will commit to chart a path forward for environmental clarity.

And though the future of our political climate may be fraught with uncertainties, we will commit to chart a path forward for environmental clarity.

A future with a better transportation system, more efficient buildings, and 100 percent renewable energy sources is the future for San Antonio.

Moving forward, we will work diligently to implement each and every item found in this plan

This was not an easy undertaking, so I’d like to thank Doug, Julia and the Office of Sustainability for shepherding a process that at times has been very difficult.

Thanks to the CAAP Steering and Technical Working Group Committees for providing earnest community input on a plan that will provide for a cleaner, healthier San Antonio.

The work has been recognized nationwide through the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ American Cities Climate Challenge.

City Council will be diligent in the work to form policies and take initiative from CAAP, and each action will have a cost estimate attached to it.

As a cleaner future evolves for our city, the equity component of this plan -- now nationally recognized -- will ensure that we never take climate action at the expense of our most vulnerable. Ensuring climate action is met with climate justice will provide for the most equitable approach as we move this plan forward.

&Soon work will begin to measure and benchmark energy use in municipal and large private buildings throughout San Antonio, help retrofit older buildings to be more energy efficient, complete a plan to run all municipal facilities on 100 percent renewable energy sources, and install permanent citizen oversight through the CAAP Technical and Equity Advisory Committees to provide input as we implement every phase of this plan.

Simply put, CAAP won’t have the time to collect any dust.

It is a living document, which will undoubtedly adapt and evolve with emerging technologies and community input.

And just because a strategy is not included in this draft, it doesn’t mean it’s been excluded from our future. Going forward, everything’s on the table. Issues like coal must be addressed, and done so in an equitable manner that does not overburden our community. Those discussions must take place with everyone here in this room and must be clear-headed, data-informed, and transparent.

We must begin now to publicly analyze the cost of accelerating renewable energy sources into San Antonio’s portfolio while ending the use of coal. We will act in accordance with the scientific consensus, which tells us that implementing the CAAP limit the impacts of climate change, create jobs, strengthen our economy, and fortify community health and equity.

Also, I will create a council of youth ambassadors so that we never lose your voice as we, and future administrations, work to implement this framework.

Let today mark the start of a better tomorrow for our city.”

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.