Strengthening Transit Through Community Partnerships
Earlier this year, Lancaster became the first city in the northeast U.S. and one of the first 10 in the world to earn LEED Gold certification for sustainability.
But that was just the beginning, setting a “baseline” for a process that will stretch over generations, Mayor Danene Sorace said Thursday at an event commemorating the designation awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Moments later, she announced the next step: The development of a climate action plan.
It will incorporate strategies for reducing emissions from city operations, which could include options such as retrofitting buildings and purchasing more green energy. It will also offer guidelines for improving the city’s resilience to flooding and other repercussions of global warming.
Lancaster hopes to finish the plan by Earth Day, April 22, said Douglas Smith, senior planner. The city will work with Chicago-based consultants Elevate Energy and the Center for Neighborhood Technology.
Communities can no longer wait before taking action on climate change, Sorace said: “The time is clearly now.”