10 Years of Providence Sustainability
Dear Neighbor,
JORGE O. ELORZA
Since the creation of the Providence Office of Sustainability ten years ago, Providence has continued to experience the impacts of climate change. We feel it through more frequent and intense summer heat waves, winters with less snowfall, and an increase in extreme weather.
We have also faced the reality that low-income communities of color suffer more from these impacts due to structural inequality and racism.
This is why the work of our Office of Sustainability is so critical.
Our City has made bold commitments to ensure that Providence is on its way to becoming a more just and sustainable City. In 2019, the Office of Sustainability co-developed the City’s Climate Justice Plan with Providence’s frontline communities. This nationally-recognized plan charts a course for the City to be carbon neutral by 2050 in a way that is equitable and fair to frontline communities.
We’ve also made some great progress toward these goals by making it easier for residents and visitors to bike or walk around Providence, investing in building energy efficiency to save energy on heating and cooling, as well as increasing the City’s use of clean energy.
Today, Providence remains committed to working towards a more sustainable, resilient and equitable future – from working with community partners to create a residential composting plan to celebrating the installation of another public electric vehicle charging station at WBNA today.
As we celebrate ten years of the Office of Sustainability, we’re looking ahead because we know there is much more work to be done. Please take a minute to participate in a brief survey to share your highlights and future hopes for the Office of Sustainability.
The Office of Sustainability is strongly guided by the needs of the community. Your input is incredibly important in guiding future work.
We are grateful to you – our engaged residents, sustainability leaders, community partners and supportive elected officials – for the part you have played and will continue to play.
Let’s celebrate a decade of the Office of Sustainability and what’s yet to come! Stay up to date by
signing up to receive SustainPVD’s monthly newsletter
in English or in Spanish.
Sincerely,
Jorge O. Elorza