Iowa City looking for Climate Action Steering Committee members

IOWA CITY - Iowa City is hoping its residents will help it achieve its goal of reducing carbon emission level by 26 to 28 percent by 2025 and by 80 percent by 2050.

City staffers this week opened applications for a new Climate Action Steering Committee, where up to five residents will assist the city in achieving greenhouse gas emission goals.

The city also in the process of choosing a consultant to create a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, which is meant to address the City Council's sustainability goal in its strategic plan.

'The action is taking place at the local scale. We need to do what we can here in Iowa City,” Mayor Jim Throgmorton said.

Brenda Nations, the city's sustainability coordinator, said she thinks the steering committee will end up with about 12 members, with some seats filled by key stakeholders such as MidAmerican Energy and the University of Iowa.

'It's really going to be a voluntary thing for business and industry and residents to do,” Nations said. 'I think there's a lot of interest in residents.”

The committeewill help with the action and adaptation plan, identify achievable ways to reduce emissions and educate the public about climate action, according to a news release.

Throgmorton said it's hoped the committee will help engage the community - both the key stakeholders and 'knowledgeable residents who are advocates for reducing carbon emissions.”

To apply to be on the committee, residents should complete an application on the city's website or print it out and return it to City Hall by 5 p.m. March 14.

Throgmorton helped to jump-start sustainability efforts when he joined the Compact of Mayors about a year ago. It's a global coalition of local leaders, created by the United Nations, who want to address climate change.

Throgmorton said he believes sustainability efforts can have an added benefit for Iowa City as well - the industry that 'green” efforts often bring with it.

'{There's} significant economic opportunity with looking at climate action as a way of inspiring creative and entrepreneurial responses to the collective challenge we face,” he said.

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