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Last updated on Friday, February 3, 2017
(BLOOMINGTON) - The Environmental Commission is proud to announce the publication of the Bloomington Environmental Action Plan (BEAP), a strategic plan that articulates how the City can mitigate climate change and improve the quality of life for citizens.
More specifically, the Plan details the City's intent to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2020 to a level 17% below the 2014 emissions baseline level.
Because cities account for about 75% of global GHG emissions, municipalities across the world have the unique opportunity to effect change. The City of Bloomington recognizes this opportunity and joins other concerned communities in the pursuit against environmental degradation and climate change by creating this Environmental Action Plan.
The Environmental Commission builds on past GHG reports, Bloomington Environmental Quality Indicators (BEQI), and greenspace inventories in creating this long-range plan for the City. The BEAP's 2020 objectives and action items are arranged in seven categories: (1) buildings and energy; (2) transportation; (3) air quality; (4) urban ecology; (5) water; (6) food and agriculture; and (7) waste. The categories are distinct yet interconnected by the ways they contribute to and are affected by climate change. The division of the Plan into categories also highlights the variety of stakeholders -- including the City, Monroe County, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community members -- that must be engaged to meet the 2020 GHG reduction goal.
"The natural and built environments connect all of us, so it's imperative that any action to mitigate climate change be a communitywide - indeed, worldwide - effort. Climate change is the most important challenge facing our planet. Each of us has a responsibility to do what we can to protect our environment, and that begins at home," commented Mayor John Hamilton.
The Environmental Commission advises the City of Bloomington on how its actions and policies may preserve and enhance the quality of Bloomington's environment, including the life-supporting processes that natural ecological systems provide to humans and other organisms.
For more information visit bloomington.in.gov/environment.
For more information about the BEAP, please contact the Department of Planning & Transportation at (812) 349-3423, or visit them online at bloomington.in.gov/planning.
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