Newark City Council unanimously adopts the five-year city sustainability update.
The original plan adopted by City Council in November 2019 had 109 total goals to address long-term sustainability and 93 of them or 85% were achieved, sustained or in progress.
Renewable energy integration was among the successes as Newark significantly increased the percentage of renewable energy sources in its distributed electricity mix and reduced the city’s carbon footprint.
The city also adopted new green building standards to promote energy efficiency in new development and renovations while expanding bike lanes and safety.
"Any development that comes through here, we should make sure that it's compliant with the comp plan and the sustainability plan or some combination of those two. It should be a specific statement that says I agree to this because it's in compliance with the plan," said Councilmember John Suchanec.
The Sustainable Newark Plan divides the city’s sustainability goals into four main themes - responding to climate change, planning and developing for all, building better, wasting less and preserving nature, reducing impacts.
"It's absolutely necessary to integrate the Climate Action Plan into the Comprehensive Development Plan,” said Councilmember Corinth Ford. “Because the Comprehensive Development Plan is what we reference on council, if we are voting against something."
There were 16 goals that were either not yet started, deemed infeasible or cancelled, and six of those were modified while three new goals were added.
New goals include reducing light pollution from parks and other facilities as well as residential areas, the business district and UD by implementing responsible outdoor lighting principles.
