Transcript The Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC)

CLEAN WEBINAR
Kimberly Hill Knott, Director of Policy
Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ)
&
Project Director, Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC)
Note: The Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC) is an initiative of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice
1/2017
Presentation Overview
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Who is Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ)
Definition of Environmental Justice
What is the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC)
DCAC Goals, Stakeholders, Workgroups
Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Current Activities & Accomplishments for 2011-2016
DWEJ
Mission
Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice envisions Detroit as the global
model of a vibrant urban center where all thrive in environmental, economic and
social health.
Vision
DWEJ champions local and national collaboration to advance environmental
justice and sustainable redevelopment. We foster clean, healthy and safe
communities through innovative policy, education and
workforce initiatives.
Environmental Justice (EJ): a social justice, grassroots movement
that seeks to protect communities of color and low-income
communities from being overburdened with pollution.
Citizens of different races and classes experience disparate
environmental quality directly affecting their public health
and quality of life. The movement uses policy advocacy,
research, community capacity building and organizing to
advance environmental justice. Environmental Justice refers
to those cultural norms and values, rules, regulations,
behaviors, policies, and decisions to support sustainable
communities where people can interact with confidence that
their environment is safe, nurturing, and productive.
Environmental Justice is served when people realize their
highest potential without experiencing the –isms.
(Environmental Justice Leadership Forum)
DWEJ’s Climate Change Commitment
• Since DWEJ’s inception in 1994, we have been a leading
voice in advocating for sustainable communities in Detroit.
• Address many of the factors leading to climate change,
which have adversely impacted low-income and minority
communities .
• In 2011, DWEJ convened key stakeholders from diverse
backgrounds to form the Detroit Climate Action
Collaborative (DCAC).
DCAC Goals:
1) Reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the sustainability and
well-being of the City of Detroit.
2) Increase the resilience of the city’s social, built, and natural
environments.
Detroit Climate Action Plan Process
• Develop CAP for Detroit
• Develop a comprehensive strategy to address GHG emissions related
to land use, public health, building design, energy use, water
demand, and waste generation.
• Identify approaches unique to Detroit to achieve GHG emission
reductions.
• Create a roadmap to reducing community and municipal GHG
emissions associated with both existing and future actions and
activities.
• Vet strategies through a strong community engagement process.
DCAC Workgroups
Image Courtesy of University of Michigan Urban Planning Students, Dr. Larissa Larsen & Eric Dueweke
DCAC Sector Meetings
DCAC Youth Climate Summit
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DWEJ has convened three youth climate
summits (2014, 2015, 2016) and we are in
the process of convening the third.
They've been focused on climate justice
and climate planning, with a green career
component.
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The summit in 2015 was unique in that we
were selected by the White House Office
of Science and Technology Policy to
participate in its youth summit program,
focused on the 21st Conference of the
Parties in Paris (meeting to agree to global
greenhouse gas reductions).
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Typically we have incorporated the green
career session into the youth summit. It's an
open session where students can visit booths
and ask the vendors questions. We ask the
vendors to be ready to describe their work
and how they became interested in and
qualified for their roles. We also provide a list
for the students of summer job and
volunteer programs, school programs,
scholarships, etc. This year, we are looking to
have a green career session that is
standalone, so that we can have more time
(and hopefully, more vendors, potentially
with a field trip). We emphasize emerging
green career paths but also how to be
"green" and sustainable within existing
business and institutions.
DCAC Youth Summits
DCAC Steering Committee & Workgroup Chairs
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Paul Max, (SC) City of Detroit Buildings,
Safety Engineering and Environment
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Kimberly Hill Knott (Acting Chair, Parks Public
Space and Water Infrastructure)- Detroit
Climate Action Collaborative/DWEJ
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Natalie Sampson, PhD (SC, Chair: Public
Health) - University of Michigan School of
Public Health Climate Change Research
Team
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Elizabeth Gibbons, (SC) - Great Lakes
Integrated Sciences and Assessments
(GLISA)
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Sandra Turner-Handy, (Chair: Solid Waste)
Michigan Environmental Council
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Nick Schroeck, (SC) - Great Lakes
Environmental Law Center – Wayne State
University Law School
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Kimberly Hill Knott, (Acting Chair: Energy)Detroit Climate Action Collaborative/
DWEJ
DCAC Workgroup Partners
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City of Detroit General Services
Department
Detroit Area Green Sector Skills
Alliance
DTE Energy
General Motors
Greening of Detroit
Ford Motor Company
The McNeely Building Group, LLC
Newman Consulting Group, LLC
Zero Waste Detroit
City of Detroit Department of
Homeland Security
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Pure Eco Environmental Solutions
Sierra Club- Detroit Chapter
University of Michigan School of Natural
Resources and Environment
U.S. Green Building Council Detroit
Regional Chapter
Wayne State University- Office of
Campus Sustainability
State of Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality (M-DEQ)
Detroit Housing Commission
Addressing Climate Change
Key Steps to Establishing an Effective
CAP: DCAC lessons learned
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Develop an inclusive planning process
Conduct a Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climatology
Report
Engage the Mayor’s Office and key city leadership
Establish a comprehensive process that engages key
stakeholders in first identifying their contribution to
climate change and then identifying the potential
impacts that it has on their operations and community
After key stakeholders clearly understand their
contribution and its impact, which are different for
businesses and communities, they should identify
mitigation and adaptation goals
After developing the goals, identify short-term and
long-term action steps, which will consider scale of
action and costs
Use that information to prioritize the short-and longterm action steps
Invite someone from a relevant city department to
serve on the Steering or Advisory Committee—Keep
City Government close
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Make sure that you partner with colleges or a
state or city health department to involve
scientists and academic climate health experts
(professors, doctoral students, climate
epidemiologist)– they help to add a strong
human touch that is supported by intense
research and resources
Also consider partnering with hospitals and the
municipal Department of Homeland Security,
which handles emergency events – they should
play a role in developing your plan
Make sure that Homeland Security includes
climate change in their Hazard Mitigation Plan,
especially if they are in the process of updating
the document
Become familiar with green infrastructure
projects within your community and align your
efforts with existing efforts– your
voice/expertise may allow others to expand
their focus to be more inclusive of
environmental justice communities
Building Climate Change Resilience: the
Community
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Develop a STRONG Community Engagement •
Program
Ensure that residents are actively involved
in identifying and addressing some of the
climate –related issues in their community
If the City has a Neighborhoods Office,
partner with them to help train community
leaders on developing a climate resilient
community– DCAC Detroit Climate
Ambassadors
Partner with a variety of partners (i.e.
energy efficiency/sustainability expert,
architect, urban planner and climate health
expert) to begin the process of developing
innovative adaptation strategies
There are many ways that communities
can confront climate challenges to both
build community resilience and lessen the
impact of climate change. Most of these
strategies are either mitigation or
adaptation, although some can be both.
Mitigation examples include taking public
transportation, weatherizing homes, and
transitioning to other sources of energy
(wind, solar, etc.). Adaptation examples
include planting a rain garden to help
manage runoff or using passive cooling
strategies for warmer summer
temperatures, and infrastructure
improvements (i.e. building elevation)
Building Climate Change Resilience: the
Community
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Communities are envisioning and enacting
climate action plans in response to the
various climate challenges that they face.
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Climate action plans can be tailored to the
strengths and goals of each community
because climate change affects many areas
of our lives. For example, climate action
plans can also incorporate mutual goals of
food security, youth leadership, economic
development and other areas that
communities have identified as important
for their futures.
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For instance, education and engagement of
residents and contractors will be at the
heart of defining and achieving the climate
goals of our Homes and Neighborhoods
Workgroup.
Detroit Greenhouse Gas Inventory
• Municipal – includes emissions from all operations that local
government owns and controls.
• Community – includes emissions from community activities
(i.e., energy transportation, agricultural, industrial, and
waste).
Detroit Greenhouse Gas Inventory
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Municipal – Emissions from Detroit’s municipal government operations accounted for 11%
of total citywide emissions (1.18 million tons CO2e) in 2012
– Municipal buildings and facilities were the largest source of emissions contributing
58% of emissions in 2012, solid waste, which includes solid waste incineration and
landfill disposal, was the second largest municipal source, contributing approximately
21% of emissions. Wastewater treatment emissions contributed approximately 15%.
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Community – Non-Municipal operations accounted for 89 % of city-wide emissions (9.4
million tons CO2e)
– Energy use in Buildings and Facilities, contributed 6.7 million tons of CO2e (63% of
total 2012 citywide emissions)
– Transportation sector contributed 3.2 million tons of CO2e (30% to total citywide
emissions)
Only 3% of electricity was generated from renewable energy. In 2012, DTE Energy’s fuel
mix predominantly consisted of coal (76%)
Vulnerability Assessment & Indicator
Development
• Vulnerability Assessment
- Identify & quantify vulnerabilities
- Tool for future decision-making
• Indicator Development
- Based on identified vulnerabilities
- Trend & direction
Supportive Climate Policy Initiatives
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Local Climate Ordinance that will support the Climate Action Plan and
institutionalize greenhouse gas reduction targets
Working with colleagues throughout the state of Michigan to promote clean
energy among state legislators
Clean Power Plan—working with Environmental Justice leaders to ensure that
the State Implementation Plan is supportive/protective of low-income and
communities of color
Federal legislation to promote clean energy
DCAC Progress
Dec 2011 – Current:
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Established DCAC
Met with key leaders in Mayors Office and City Council
Formed 6 Workgroups: Public Health, Energy, Parks, Public Space & Water Infrastructure, Homes and
Neighborhoods, Solid Waste, Business and Institutions
Detroit Climatology Report developed
Partnered with the University of Michigan to develop the framework for the 6 DCAC Workgroups
Partnered with the University of Michigan to Develop the Climate Change Vulnerability in Detroit
Report
Selected as a U of M SNRE Master’s Project – Students conducted a GHG Inventory at the Municipal
and Community level
Partnered with Wayne State University to draft for the Detroit City Council Climate Ordinance
Completed the Workgroup Frameworks which outlines mitigation and adaptation short-term and longterm action steps
Completed the Municipal and Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Report – Community and
Municipal
Completed an economic analysis of climate change
Launched the Detroit Climate Ambassador Program
Launched the Detroit Smart Neighborhood Program
Thank You
Questions???
Contact:
Kimberly Hill Knott, Director of Policy
Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice
(313) 833-3935
[email protected]
Leila Mekias, Program Coordinator
Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice
(313) 833-3935
[email protected]
For more information on DWEJ visit: www.dwej.org
For more information on DCAC visit: www.detroitclimateaction.org
Sources
• Ellsworth, P. (2013). The 21st Century Investor: Ceres Blueprint for
Sustainable Investing. Summary Report. Ceres.
• Schwartz, H. (2010). Risk assessment and risk management for
infrastructure planning and investment. The Bridge , 40 (3), 14-21
• Busman, F., & Freed, R. (2008). Adapting to Climate Change: A Business
Approach. ICF International.
• Rain Garden: Mardueng (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
Research support: Leila Mekias, Program Coordinator, Detroiters Working for
Environmental Justice