City of Moscow to Consider Adopting Climate Action Plan for City Operations

September 23, 2022 (Moscow, Idaho) — The Moscow City Council will consider adopting the draft City of Moscow Climate Action Plan (CAP) at the Oct. 3 City Council meeting at 7 pm. A CAP provides a science-based strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address ways the climate is already changing. CAPs can consist of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and activities to reduce the severity of impacts. Many states, cities, counties, academic institutions, and businesses are creating CAPs to understand their baseline emissions better and develop a path toward decarbonization.

The draft CAP calls for the City as an organization to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 with an interim goal of reducing emissions by 57% by 2030. The draft CAP proposes that City operations seek to achieve net zero by 2035. To meet this goal, the draft CAP outlines key strategies and actions in areas including power grid decarbonization, facility efficiency and electrification, renewable energy, reduction of vehicle trips, waste reduction, water conservation, and enhancements to the urban tree canopy. The City also hopes its efforts will provide a positive model of how to set and achieve goals designed to address emissions for others.

City staff in the Environmental Services Department developed the draft CAP plan in partnership with a designated Climate Action Working Group and the City’s Sustainable Environment. Staff included community input throughout the development of the draft CAP, including a month-long online input process held Feb. 24 through Mar. 26 and an online forum hosted on Mar. 9. Additionally, the City Council heard comments on the draft plan from the public in person at an open workshop on Apr. 25.

Written comments directly to the City Council on the most current draft CAP are also being accepted from the public through Fri. Sep. 30 at 5 pm by email at council@ci.moscow.id.us. The document the City Council will be considering for adoption on Oct. 3 is available for review at https://www.ci.moscow.id.us/1002/Climate-Action-Plan.