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Draft Sustainable Newark plan sets target for carbon neutrality

Newark planners presented a draft Sustainable Newark plan to the public last week. 

 

Goals set in the draft plan include reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2060, distributing electricity from 100 percent renewable sources by 2045, and tripling the generating capacity of behind-the-meter and community solar projects over the next five years.

Newark city planner Michael Fortner says the idea of reducing the city’s carbon footprint runs through the four broad themes of the plan. 

“Clean energy, which reduces carbon footprint,” he said. “Sustainable planning, which is about how people get out of their cars and have a more walkable and bikeable community, so that would reduce our carbon footprint … Green buildings or more sustainable building design, so that would make more energy efficient, and finally, preserving our natural environment— being a treed city. ”

Newark City Councilwoman Sharon Hughes supports these goals. “This is where it all starts, in your local municipalities and cities,” she said.

Newark resident Bahareh van Boekhold is chair of the Sustainability Planning steering committee. She says more planning is needed to determine how the City could bring all sectors of the community to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. 

“It is kind of premature to say what will be that mix. So what happens is when they create the baseline, they will make models,” she said. “OK, if we reduce our emissions from our electricity, versus our building versus our transportation … How much will these different policies help us? Will we get there? Or then the question is do you need to have carbon sinks or carbon offsets.”

Planners are collecting public comments on the plan, which could be approved by City Council next month. 

Fortner says implementation of the plan will be determined by the Newark Conservation Advisory Commission and city staff. 

 

Sophia Schmidt is a Delaware native. She comes to Delaware Public Media from NPR’s Weekend Edition in Washington, DC, where she produced arts, politics, science and culture interviews. She previously wrote about education and environment for The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, MA. She graduated from Williams College, where she studied environmental policy and biology, and covered environmental events and local renewable energy for the college paper.