Birmingham carbon neutrality by 2050 goal set

By Mark H. Stowers

The Birmingham City Commission adopted the Birmingham Green ordinance during its Monday, September 23 meeting, a sustainability and climate action plan that is designed to reduce carbon emissions and set up the city to be more adaptive and resilient in the face of the changing climate.

Along with the Birmingham Green ordinance, the commission decided to further edit the ordinance language to establish the Environmental Sustainability Committee. Once written and approved, the ordinance will establish the composition, terms/membership, organization and duties of the committee. The committee will have seven members and two alternates. The motion was tabled for two weeks to iron out the language.

Planning department director Nicholas Dupuis explained the goals of the action plan and its vision for Birmingham Green.

“The Birmingham community will be a regional leader in sustainability and climate action by instituting policies and practices that enhance the natural and built environment, improve quality of life and foster equity and resiliency towards a vibrant future,” he said.

The two main goals of Birmingham Green are to reduce carbon emissions 25 percent by 2035 and to be carbon neutral by 2050. Other 2035 goals include increasing capacity for the infiltration or capture by 500,000 gallons of stormwater per rain event; increasing native and naturalized areas in the city by as much as 470 acres; publish comprehensive citywide and community-level quality-of-life metrics on equity and sustainability; reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and facilities by 57,500 metric tons (50 percent); reduce total landfill solid waste by 2,390 tons (25 percent); and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles by 10,000 metric tons (15 percent). The goals will be funded through various sources such as the city’s general fund, a dedicated millage, user fees, revenue bonds, donations and grants.

“Grant money has never been more lucrative for sustainability projects,” Dupuis said. “We are looking to supplement every proposal with a grant.”

Dupuis further explained, “Birmingham is less vulnerable to the effects of climate hazards than other areas in southeast Michigan but the climate hazards that are experienced by Birmingham will continue to increase in frequency and intensity. Birmingham will need to target actions toward increasing the adaptive capacities of vulnerable populations in the city. Buildings will have a large role to play in adaptive capacity in Birmingham.”