Carbon neutral city buildings? New Providence City Council ordinance could mandate the transition.

A proposed ordinance awaits the Providence City Council, aimed at making all municipal buildings carbon neutral by 2050, with significant progress by 2030.

Councilwoman Sue Anderbois told The Providence Journal she is working on the measure with Mayor Brett Smiley's administration as part of a newly announced plan to accelerate the development of green infrastructure, renewable energy and the creation of a workforce to get the job done.

The plan came in the form of a resolution the council passed last week, which was billed as an effort to establish Providence as "America's first climate-jobs city."

The resolution was developed with the help of Climate Jobs Rhode Island, a coalition that came together in 2020 following a controversial power plant proposal in Burrillville that set oppositional environmentalists against supportive laborers. That proposal died in 2019, and out of it was born a collaboration between the two sides.

Now, Climate Jobs Rhode Island is tasked with crafting policy to make the state's economy greener. The group will be working with the City Council on ordinances to make its new resolution enforceable. (Resolutions generally don't have teeth, though local laws will help to give power to this new initiative.)

What does the resolution say? A lot.

The resolution includes a large mix of environmental initiatives, some of which are already being taken care of by the city and state, and some of which will require new ordinances to accomplish. Within the list is workforce development, environmental education, a switch to 100% renewable energy in 10 years and a host of other points.

Anderbois described the goals as "the start of a body of work" that "really sets the stage for a number of initiatives we’ll be working on."

For example, the workforce development piece may involve builders, electricians, pipe fitters and others who will be part of green development.

Decarbonization – which may be accomplished through the ordinance Anderbois is championing – could prompt new attention to buildings to ensure they're well-insulated or that they trade out old, inefficient HVAC systems for better ones.

(Municipal buildings aside, Anderbois emphasized that businesses and local residents can participate, too, by taking advantage of free energy audits from their energy company, which will offer advice on how to cut energy use and save money, perhaps with better light bulbs or a more efficient dishwasher.)

What other ordinances may be introduced?

Mike Roles, a policy expert at Climate Jobs Rhode Island, will be among those aiding the City Council. Decarbonization won't be the only ordinance introduced.

"I imagine in the coming year we’re going to be talking about a lot of adaptation and resilience policy, especially as we’ve recently seen historic flooding," Roles said.

Part of that will mean ensuring that policies are worker-focused and come with fair pay for any laborers involved.

"If we are going to decarbonize the economy ... we need to make sure that the people who are entering the workforce … that they’re enjoying the same wages and benefits that the people before them have," Roles said.

If you're interested in learning more about what policies may be developed as a result of the City Council's resolution, check out the council's Sustainability Commission meetings. The Oct. 25 meeting will focus on transportation.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence could make all municipal buildings carbon neutral. What it means.