Ames Climate Action team reveals ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
The City of Ames remains committed to reducing pollution.
The Ames Climate Action team revealed seven key points that will help the city reduce greenhouse emissions at Tuesday's city council meeting.
The City of Ames adopted the Climate Action Plan over the summer, which calls for an 83% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. Various strategies to reduce emissions are outlined in the plan, including areas for city, residents and businesses to make decisions.
Making Ames a more environmentally sustainable community has been a city goal as early as 2007, Ames Public Relations Officer and Climate Team member Susan Gwiasda said. The goal has transformed over the years into a go-green initiative that supports, expands and now evaluates environmental sustainability.
"This isn’t new, this is 15 years now that we have had this value," Gwiasda said. "I think it’s something the city has embraced both in our organization and throughout the community."
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Climate Action Plan proposes action steps
The Climate Action Plan details six major areas where the city can make an impact - building retrofits, constructing net-zero buildings, renewable energy generation, reducing vehicle emissions, increasing active transportation and reducing waste emissions.
The seven implementation steps in the city's Climate Action Plan include:
Increase wind and solar generation as part of Electric Services' renewable energy portfolio
Waste-to-energy improvements/reducing waste emissions
Net zero and Net-Zero Ready new construction
Retrofitting existing buildings
Retrofit municipal buildings
Electrify municipal fleet (non-CyRide)
Create a Mayor's Climate Action Plan Leadership Task Force
While no action was taken on Tuesday, the Climate Action team was encouraged.
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City transportation, creating task force team
The climate action team recommends purchasing electric buses to help make public transportation more environmentally safe.
The city could also create a "Mayor's Climate Action Plan Leadership Task Force." Community leaders would gather to discuss strategies to lower greenhouse gas emissions while developing better conservation practices.
"It would help us understand the steps that are currently being taken, how they might impact what our carbon reduction looks like in the future," Gwiasda said. "It's an exciting group, and I'm sure people would be very impressed to be tapped to serve on it by the mayor."
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Environmentally friendly buildings
The Climate Action team believes safe practices are connected to construction as well. They encourage the city to start building net-zero ready facilities
Net-Zero Ready is a design concept allowing new buildings to add on-site generated renewable energy without increasing the energy demand.
The council could consider a change to the zoning ordinance to include specific design requirements that support being net-zero ready. The climate team also considered requiring net-zero ready as part of annexations and contract rezoning. While retrofitting current buildings could be expensive, it does have a worthwhile payoff. Converting a building to be net-zero ready will reduce the carbon footprint by 15 percent.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ames Climate Action team reveals steps to net-zero at latest council meeting
