Columbus has been named a winner of the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge, aimed at helping cities tackle climate issues.
As part of the two-year, $70 million program, Columbus will focus on changes in transportation and building, which Bloomberg Philanthropies says accounts for 80 percent of citywide carbon emissions.
The city’s proposal includes auditing homes in neighborhoods with high rates of “energy poverty,” boosting efficiency in commercial buildings, and increasing ridership for public transportation.
“The wellbeing and prosperity of our community is inextricably linked to solving the climate crisis. This presents a great opportunity to our generation to innovate,” said Mayor Ginther in an emailed statement. “Columbus is no stranger to innovation. By being named a winning city by Bloomberg, we will be able to boldly move forward with existing and new programs to cut city emissions through sustainable construction and mobility initiatives.”
Along with the other winners, Columbus will receive about $2.5 million worth of technical and staffing support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, which was founded by billionaire former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“We’re excited and focused on creating a sustainable and green Columbus,” Columbus City Council member Emmanuel V. Remy said in a statement. “We must continue to prepare for tomorrow by actualizing our mission and vision to address climate change in the City.”
By 2020, Columbus says it hopes to:
- Launch a workforce development program for energy efficiency auditors, and increase the number of homes audited
- Improve financing for energy efficiency and renewables in commercial buildings
- Launch a trip planning app and collect analytics on transportation behaviors
- Create a PR campaign to increase ridership on existing public transportation lines
The American Cities Climate Challenge was spurred by President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris climate accord. The city of Columbus signed onto a pledge declaring its intention to continue working to stop climate change.
Bloomberg Philanthropies also awarded grants to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Diego, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis, St. Paul, and Washington, D.C.
