Make sure that County Board members know you support higher investment in addressing climate change for a livable future for our families and for all Arlingtonians by sending an email to countyboard@arlingtonva.us or speaking at the public hearing on the FY-2023 Budget on March 29 at 7:00 pm. For more details on speaking see Demystifying Speaking at the County Board.
Arlington’s proposed FY-2023 Budget includes energy and the environment for the first time as a priority and includes some increased spending for implementation of the Community Energy Plan (CEP). Plans to expand the County’s electric vehicle fleet and EV charging infrastructure, explore rooftop solar on government facilities, and create a $1 million CEP Action fund are laudable but fall short of the ambitious action needed to address climate change. County funding needs to be directed toward actions that will drive greenhouse gas reductions down rapidly both within County operations and the public sector, which accounts for 96 percent of Arlington’s emissions.
The FY 2023 Budget should propose energy and climate-purposed investments that address the urgency of lowering our carbon footprint. Steps in that direction should:
- Prioritize comprehensive building retrofit pilots targeted to low- to moderate-income households and underserved communities to improve energy efficiency, electrify HVAC systems, hot water heaters, and appliances, and install rooftop solar and EV-charging infrastructure.
- Develop programs to educate, engage, encourage, inspire, and assist the private sector and the public to meet our urgent climate goals.
- Embrace electrification and elimination of fossil fuel use as an essential climate action strategy for all County Government facilities and vehicles as well as in public engagement initiatives.
- Increase funding for invasive plant removal as an inexpensive method to protect our existing tree canopy and natural areas, which help sequester carbon, filter pollution, and reduce urban heat island effects.
Arlington Needs a Climate Leader Now!
Two years after adopting a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 Arlington County has made only limited progress in meeting its goals. In the meantime the evidence of the devastating impacts of climate change are mounting with more intense heat waves, wildfires, storms, and flooding. The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is warning that we have only a “brief and rapidly closing window to secure a livable and sustainable future for all.” Despite County Board Guidance in April 2021, the County Manager has not adequately provided a plan for a whole-of-government approach to addressing climate change and sustainability. Critically, the County lacks a visible and committed executive-level climate leader.
Arlington needs a senior-level Chief Climate Officer empowered to put climate concerns at the forefront of every major decision, provide guidance to align county policies, plans, regulations, and procedures with the imperatives of quickly reducing greenhouse gas, and to develop and implement new programs and initiatives to promote the necessary transformations throughout the Arlington Community. You can let County Board members know that you support creating a Chief Climate Officer position by sending a letter using the sample below, or by sending a message via the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter –
EcoAction Arlington sent a letter to the County Board enumerating the need to make climate action a top, whole of government priority and to direct spending toward programs and initiatives aimed at rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Arlington.
Read EcoAction Arlington’s comments on the FY-2023 Budget here.
Sample Letter to send to the county
Please use our templates below and consider customizing to add your personal concerns and priorities.
Send an email to the County supporting higher investment in addressing climate changeDear County Board Members
The world is facing a climate crisis and time is running out to take action to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I urge you to prioritize investment to address climate change in the FY 2023 Budget. Specifically:
- Create a senior-level Chief Climate Officer empowered to put climate concerns at the forefront of every major County decision.
- Prioritize comprehensive building retrofit pilots targeted to low- to moderate-income households and underserved communities to improve energy efficiency, electrify HVAC systems, hot water heaters, and appliances, and install rooftop solar and EV-charging infrastructure.
- Develop programs to educate, engage, encourage, inspire and assist the private sector and the public to meet our urgent climate goals.
- Embrace electrification and elimination of fossil fuel use as an essential climate action strategy for all County Government facilities and vehicles as well as in public engagement initiatives.
- Increase funding for invasive plant removal as an inexpensive method to protect our existing tree canopy and natural areas, which help sequester carbon, filter pollution, and reduce urban heat island effects.
Business as usual is not an option. I look to County Board members to do everything within your power to take action to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and help build a sustainable and livable future for my family and future generations.
Sincerely
[Your Name]
[Your address]
[Your phone number – optional]
This content originally appeared in The EcoAdvocate newsletter produced by the EcoAction Arlington Advocacy Committee. For more information about the Advocacy Committee, please visit ecoactionarlington.org/get-involved/ecoaction-arlingtondvocacy/
