Charlotte's Eco-Friendly Journey Towards Green
Charlotte's growing population influences the increase of their sustainability efforts.
By: Keyona Smith | October 1, 2023
Sol Nation is celebrating one of the newest national holidays, National Green City Day, that launched last year in 2022 on Oct 1st. This new “idea sharing” holiday highlights the latest innovations in eco-friendly urban planning and climate change solutions.
Ehardt Media/Eric Eberhardt
What Makes A City Green?
Also known as a sustainable city, a green city is a city that addresses social, environmental and economic impacts through building eco-friendly alternatives by removing harmful chemicals and waste from communities. Some of the qualifications of creating a green city are lowering emissions, conserving energy, reducing waste, creating a rich biodiversity and encouraging the development of sustainable local businesses.[1]
[1] National Day Calendar - https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-green-city-day-october-1/#:~:text=NATIONAL%20GREEN%20CITY%20DAY%20%7C%20October%201%20%2D%20National%20Day%20Calendar
Charlotte's Eco-Friendly Journey to Become Green
Being one of the fastest growing cities in the country, Charlotte, NC’s population has grown from 774,400 to 885,663 in just 10 years.[1] But with the increase in new residents comes a downside: an increase of air pollution, trash, energy usage, deforestation for construction and limited public transportation. Unfortunately, according to IQAir, Charlotte failed to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for the nations most harmful air pollutants: ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) back in 2019.[2]
But not all hope is lost! Charlotte is one of the top 20 cities leading the way towards a sustainable and resilient future! In June 2018, the city council unanimously passed the Sustainable and Resilient Charlotte by 2050 Resolution, setting ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But they didn't stop there! In December of the same year, the council adopted the Strategic Energy Action Plan (SEAP), which was developed in partnership with community stakeholders and city departments.[3] This plan outlines specific areas for reducing emissions and includes input from greenhouse gas reduction scenario sessions.
[1] World Population Review - https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/charlotte-nc-population [2] IQAir - https://www.iqair.com/us/usa/north-carolina/charlotte [3] City of Charlotte SEAP - https://www.charlottenc.gov/City-Government/Initiatives-and-Involvement/Sustainability/SEAP
City of Charlotte's SEAP Highlights:
Creating more accessible electric charging stations throughout the city.
Continues to replace city vehicles with electric cars and/or modified vehicles lessening the emissions emitted.
City Council has invested in solar energy for commercial buildings.
In 2022, the city council adopted an updated Sustainable Facilities Policy (SFP) that set forth a requirement that city-owned/managed buildings with 5,000 sqft or more are required to submit their EUI so the city can create plans around lessening the amount of energy used. Learn More About SEAP
Let's Get Involved!
With a commitment to creating a cleaner, greener future for all its residents, the city of Charlotte, NC has been recognized by Sol Nation Incorporated for National Green City Day. Let's support by staying up to date on the latest innovations and community efforts to keep Charlotte beautiful and sustainable for generations to come!
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