City asks community to weigh in on future climate strategies

EL PASO, Texas ( KTSM ) — The City of El Paso kicked off its official launch of the Regional Climate Action Plan (CAP) on Tuesday, July 23, with the first of five touchpoints in the Climate Engagement Series.

The Chihuahuan Desert Climate Collaborative (CDCC) showcased opportunities for a dynamic regional CAP to tackle climate challenges the borderland is facing. The project is funded by the voter-approved 2022 Community Progress Bond.

“It’s really important that we capture the voice of real people in El Paso, because at the end of the day, the work we do has to impact their lives in a positive way,” said Nicole Ferrini, the City of El Paso’s climate and sustainability officer.

Ferrini said core areas the team is receiving feedback in, mainly reside in the health and financial sectors.

“Folks are concerned about how changes in the climate can impact the health of themselves, their elderly parents and or their kids. We’re also talking about things like air quality, all those kinds of factors. I think second only to health is probably affordability. Folks are very concerned about the rising cost of living across a number of different factors, whether that’s transportation or the cost of utilities,” said Ferrini.

After conducting a preliminary greenhouse gas inventory study, the CDCC discovered abut 60 percent of emissions in the region were attributed to buildings and transportation.

“When we’re talking about buildings, we are talking largely about commercial and industrial facilities that use a lot of energy, thereby creating a lot of emissions,” Ferrini explained. “The second one is transportation, but that one is an interesting one to unpack because part of it is the amount of time that El Pasoans and regional residents as a whole spend in their vehicles. Another part of it, as we all know, has been about commercial traffic and really what happens in terms of idling vehicles.”

With the research and feedback from the community guiding the projects, Ferrini urges people to still show up to the climate engagement sessions or reach out to the team directly to have your voice heard.

“We’re focused on things like human health, the economy really building better for our entire region and making sure that not only do we address climate action globally, but that we do it in a way that’s specific to the people of our community,” said Ferrini.

The next open-house meeting will take place July 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. at 9500 Kenworthy St. in the Patriot Place Apartment’s clubhouse.

Anyone who is unable to attend the in-person sessions can fill out an online survey at www.EPClimate.org .

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