Public Citizen Applauds Vote On Austin’s New Climate Equity Plan, Encourages Quick Action
AUSTIN, TEXAS – Today, the Austin City Council voted 10-1 to put the city on a more ambitious path to curbing climate warming emissions, firmly establishing the city as a national leader in battling the climate crisis. The plan sets a new goal of reducing local climate pollution to net-zero by 2040, with a strong emphasis on cutting emissions by 2030. The plan also puts equity at the center of climate action in Austin to ensure that all residents – especially those most likely to be harmed by the climate crisis – have a role in implementing the plan. Kaiba White, energy policy and outreach specialist for Public Citizen’s Texas office, issued the following statement:
“The Austin Climate Equity Plan sets an ambitious new goal for reducing emissions and establishes our city as a national leader in combating the climate crisis. This new plan was crafted with the understanding that all Austin residents – not just the elite – should be able to participate in climate action. This will be essential to our success.
The plan’s vision will only become reality if city leaders, businesses and individuals can work together to implement it. Budgets, policies, programs, practices, and habits must change to reflect the dire state of the climate crisis, and we must be willing to listen to those who have been ignored or discriminated against in the past.”