Council mandates city buildings be carbon-neutral

PROVIDENCE – The City Council passed a law Thursday night to require that municipal buildings are carbonneutral by 2040.

The ordinance, sponsored by 10 of the body’s 15 members – including Council President Rachel Miller – encourages energy efficiency, and it includes schools. It urges that buildings are equipped with “electric heating and cooling systems, electric hot water heating, 100% renewable energy consumption, maximum on-site renewable energy production, thermal energy networks and biofuel or battery electric emergency backup facilities.”

Council President Rachel Miller said the first step will be for the city to take inventory of how many buildings need adjustments to go carbon-neutral.

The plan began coming together in September with the work of Climate Jobs Rhode Island, a coalition attempting to marry the interests of laborers and environmentalists. The group helped create a resolution to make Providence “America’s first climate jobs city,” which entails a long list of changes, from decarbonizing buildings to promoting green infrastructure and providing environmental education.

However, resolutions tend to be symbolic. That’s where the ordinance comes in. It would allow the city to enforce part of its resolution. Climate Jobs Rhode Island was tasked with helping the council draft such laws to accomplish the resolution’s goals.

Already, the state’s Act on Climate has mandated that emissions be brought down to net-zero by 2050. That includes buildings. But the city’s more aggressive law would supersede that, said Councilwoman Sue Anderbois.

“This is just us implementing our portion of it as fast as we can,” Anderbois said. “You can get there early. It’s totally fine to get there early, and in fact for us to meet the statewide mandate, some things are going to have to be done earlier. So this is something we can do now. We have to do it now.”