Mayor Brandon Scott yesterday announced a series of goals to achieve 100% carbon neutrality by 2045.
The city will aim for a 30% reduction in carbon emissions in 2025, a 60% reduction by 2030, and full carbon neutrality by 2045, Mayor Scott said.
“Ensuring that Baltimore is carbon neutral by the earliest possible date is a key part of my administration’s work to build Clean and Healthy Communities,” Mayor Scott said.
“Our young people deserve the chance to grow up and enjoy everything that our city and our planet have to offer,” he said.
In the 2019 Sustainability Plan, the city set a goal to achieve a 25% reduction by 2020 and 30% by 2025 compared to the level of emissions in 2007.
As of 2017, the city reduced emissions by 13% and anticipates that number will go up to 15 to 20% for 2020.
Baltimore City’s Office of Sustainability is also launching a two-year plan to update the city’s Climate Action Plan.
The Office of Sustainability will run a community engagement process through October to gather feedback and ensure that residents are aligned on how the city will achieve carbon neutrality.
“Among our city’s challenges is the urgent need to respond to the climate emergency and chart a path for Baltimore toward reducing our greenhouse gas emissions while also working to adapt to existing threats, such as extreme heat and flooding,” said Lisa McNeilly, Director of the Office of Sustainability.
“We are being proactive and updating Baltimore’s carbon neutrality goals to pave the way for us to tackle climate change head on,” she said.
Mayor Scott also stressed the importance of legislation in addressing climate change.
Councilmember Mark Conway, District 4, recently introduced five council bills to set new sustainability goals for the city.
“Today, flooding and the urban heat island disproportionately impact underserved neighborhoods and Black and brown communities,” said Councilmember Conway.
“No tool or strategy should go unused in this fight, and the administration’s goal and accompanying benchmarks will mean Baltimore is doing its part,” he said.
