“Spokane City Council Takes Action on Climate Crisis After Years of Inaction”
The city of Spokane, Washington has taken a significant step towards addressing climate change by passing an ordinance to create a Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board. This move comes after a previous attempt to establish a Sustainability Action Committee in 2018 was thwarted by two conservative mayoral administrations.
The initial ordinance for the Sustainability Action Committee was passed in 2018 amidst a national movement urging local governments to respond to the climate emergency. However, mayors David Condon and Nadine Woodward failed to appoint any members to the committee, rendering it essentially non-existent.
In a recent city council vote, the 2018 city code was replaced with the new Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board. The ordinance received support from Mayor Lisa Brown, who has been vocal about making Spokane a more climate-conscious city. The policy language indicates a commitment from the current administration to prioritize sustainability efforts.
Brian Henning, director and founder of the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment, testified in support of the new committee, highlighting the urgent need to address the climate crisis. Henning emphasized the city’s responsibility to protect its citizens from the impacts of climate change, particularly in the face of increasingly devastating wildfire seasons.
As Spokane moves forward with its climate resilience efforts, the establishment of the Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board signals a renewed commitment to addressing environmental challenges and building a more sustainable future for the city and its residents.