Lisa Gardner, City Council Communications Director, 509.625.6226
Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 2:52 p.m.
The Spokane City Council voted on an historic Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) passing it 6-1. An update from the 2009 Sustainability Action Plan, this plan was designed to provide a framework that will comply with state and city laws that require substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while considering Spokane’s unique conditions and values. The draft plan was released for Council Review and public feedback in April of 2021.
“This is a momentous achievement for the long-term viability of our City,” says Councilmember Lori Kinnear. “The creation of Spokane’s Sustainability Action Plan was a community and stakeholder-driven process. I am grateful for all the volunteer hours that resulted in this important roadmap for tackling climate change locally. The next step is to act boldly to achieve the recommendations of this plan. It’s going to take everyone. This plan needs to be adopted by all of us individually in order to make a difference. I look forward to doing my part to be part of the solution.”
With an enormous community engagement process and public feedback, the process took 2.5 years to develop and included thousands of voices from community experts, nonprofit organizations, higher education, energy experts, engaged citizens, etc.
The plan’s overarching goals are:
The Sustainability Action Plan focuses on laying the foundation for future sustainability-related policy. Further action, including economic and social impact assessments, will need to be considered prior to the implementation of policies outlined in this plan.
“The primary purpose of this plan is to ensure the entire community is working toward a set of shared goals pertaining to climate resiliency and ecological protection”, says Kara Odegard, Manager of Sustainability Initiatives. “The decisions we make today will have a profound impact on future generations.”
