Efforts to decrease the carbon footprint of the Kansas City metro are well on their way.
Kansas City Manager Brian Platt says the city is working toward a variety of sustainability initiatives, including a solar farm that could be one of the largest of its kind in the country. And across the region, municipalities are working towards LEED-certified buildings, new offices of sustainability, electric vehicle charging networks, and more.
Created in 2021, the Kansas City Regional Climate Action Plan set a goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the region by 2050. Local leaders are optimistic that the goal can be achieved.
Nineteen municipalities representing 80% of the population have signed on to the Climate Action Plan, and federal funding for sustainability projects is at an all-time high thanks to "unprecedented levels of funding" from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
But there's still more to do to get there.
"We're doing a lot, and it's just wonderful," said Tom Jacobs, chief resilience officer at the Mid-America Regional Council. "There's terrific energy, but I'd say there's a need to do more. How can we go bigger? How can we scale up? How can we go faster? How can we work smarter together?"
- Hillary Parker Thomas, board chair, Climate Action KC and Mission City Council member
- Jeremy Knoll, president, Climate Action KC
- Tom Jacobs, Chief Resilience Officer, Mid-America Regional Council
Climate Action KC's Climate Summit 2023 will take place Saturday, September 9 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Rockhurst University. The event is currently sold out, but you can sign up for the waitlist.
