Lee Grannis, coordinator of the Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition, calls on New Haven’s Mayor Toni Harp to update the city’s decade-old climate action plan
Today the Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition along with over 30 other organizations called on the administration of Mayor Toni Harp to continue addressing climate change by updating the city’s 2004 climate action plan with new goals and targets. The organizations are asking the city to implement strategies to reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
The organizations drafted a letter and delivered it to Mayor Harp’s office. We will be following up in the coming weeks. Many organizations talked of the benefits to addressing climate change on the local level.
“Forty percent of the greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions come from the transportation sector in Connecticut,” said Lee Grannis, coordinator of the Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition.
He also talked about the need for the city to increase their fleet’s alternative fuel vehicle numbers. These vehicles offer lower emissions and often save money to operate.
Shannon Laun, Energy and Environment Attorney at Connecticut Fund for the Environment said, “Climate change presents a serious threat to all of us, and it is imperative that we act to address this challenge at multiple levels of government. We encourage the City of New Haven to take a leading role in ensuring that Connecticut meets its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions at least 80 percent from 2001 levels by 2050.”
The New Haven Independent ran an article on the event.