EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — The City of Evansville has announced that it’s developing a Climate Action Plan (CAP) with the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute.

Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke will direct the development, supported by IU Resilience Cohort extern Carolyn Townsend, and Timothy Weir.

The results of Evansville’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory completed last Fall will help identify strategies the community can use to reduce GHG emissions in the future.

The City expects to complete a draft of the CAP by September to share with City Council.

“Our Climate Action Plan will create immediate, lasting benefits to our community, including strengthened economic development, improved air quality, and reduced waste,” said Mayor Winnecke. “Engaging our citizens is vital, so we are conducting a survey and host virtual town hall meetings to gather community input.”

The city is participating in the 2020 IU Resilience Cohort to support its climate action planning process.

Other Indiana cities in the 2020 Resilience Cohort include: Carmel, Elkhart, Fishers, Fort Wayne, Gary, Goshen, Michigan City, Richmond, West Lafayette, and Zionsville.

A CAP is a fundamental step for Hoosier cities and towns committed to protecting their communities from the impact of heavier rainfalls, more days above 90 degrees, frequent flash floods, and freeze-thaw events that cause potholes.

The City will conduct virtual town hall meetings this summer to enable residents and stakeholders to provide their input to the CAP.

Morning and evening sessions will be held on the following dates:

June 23 at 6 p.m.
June 26 at 8:30 a.m.
June 30 at 5:30 p.m.
July 8 at 6 p.m.
July 9 at 6 p.m.
July 14 at 6 p.m.
July 15 at 10 a.m.

Due to current COVID-19-related social-distancing requirements, these town halls will be conducted entirely online and are subject to change. To register and receive updates for the town halls and access additional information about the CAP, go to www.climateevansville.com.

Evansville residents are encouraged to participate in a Climate Action Plan survey.

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(This story was originally published on June 16, 2020)

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