The Town of Zionsville is seeking public input on a climate action plan, inquiring how it can create incentives for residents to use sustainable power.
By the end of this year, Zionsville will have a complete climate action plan to present to Zionsville Mayor Emily Styron and the Zionsville Town Council. The finished plan will provide the town with a strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
Part of the action plan involves incorporating public input by engaging residents and community stakeholders. Zionsville residents, businesses and organizations are asked to complete a series of climate action plan surveys:
- General strategies survey
- Energy survey
- Residential energy survey
- Transportation survey
- Solid waste and water usage survey
Earlier this year, as one of 11 communities selected to be part of Indiana University’s second Resilience Cohort, the town conducted a comprehensive inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. The inventory was the first step in the climate action planning process.
The inventory found residential and commercial energy make up nearly 60 percent of the town’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Zionsville emitted 358,439 tons of Co2 equivalent in 2018. The inventory was followed by a brief climate and sustainability interest survey. Nearly a third of the 360 respondents noted they would like to see increased incentives and/or decreased barriers to solar power.
“Our community joins others to benchmark our current environmental condition and to set goals and policies to sustain a healthy community,” Styron stated. “Our Climate Action Plan is an important step to making a change locally. We are requesting the community’s involvement and input as we put the plan together and actions in place.”
For more, visit zionsville-in.gov/climateactionplan.
