Columbus Joins Power A Clean Future Ohio
Mayor
Andrew J. Ginther is proud to announce that Columbus is joining Power A Clean
Future Ohio (PCFO), a growing group of leading cities and local governments
across Ohio taking meaningful actions to reduce emissions and invest in clean
energy. Earlier this month, Mayor Ginther announced the City’s first-ever
Climate Action Plan, committing to a reduction of carbon emissions by 45% by
2030.
Columbus
has already made great strides in several areas including adopting a 100%
Ohio-based clean energy aggregation program, along with prioritizing city-wide
energy benchmarking and transparency for buildings, electric vehicle adoption,
and growing local solar development in the region and state. Today’s
announcement is another step Columbus is making toward an equitable,
sustainable future.
“I am
inspired by the work of my colleagues around the state, and we are proud of the
significant and historic progress we have made in Columbus,” said Mayor
Ginther. “Joining Power A Clean Future Ohio gives us an opportunity to ensure
Ohio is doing its part to preserve our environment and reduce our carbon
emissions.”
PCFO works
with local leaders to provide technical assistance and partnerships to help
city staff continue its focus on creating a sustainable, clean energy economy
for all. Power A Clean Future Ohio is a nonpartisan coalition and campaign that
is dedicated to working with local communities to develop equitable clean
energy solutions to benefit the well-being of residents, the environment and
the economy.
“We welcome
the City of Columbus to this exciting work across the state of Ohio,” said Joe
Flarida, Executive Director of Power A Clean Future Ohio. “Thanks to the
leadership of Mayor Ginther, Columbus continues to demonstrate that addressing
climate change requires action, urgency and community voices. The Climate
Action Plan announced last week is ambitious, timely and comprehensive. The
next step is to continue the hard work to achieve the goals outlined in the
plan. PCFO looks forward to supporting the City in its efforts to build a clean
energy future for Columbus.”
"Thanks to Mayor Ginther’s leadership,
Columbus is rapidly becoming a statewide and national leader in addressing the
climate crisis through equitable solutions,” said Ohio Environmental Council
Executive Director Heather Taylor-Miesle. “By joining Power A Clean Future
Ohio, Columbus joins a strong network of local communities who are working to
reduce emissions and increase their resiliency to the impacts of climate
change. We commend the City of Columbus for continuing to lead in the fight for
environmental justice and climate action."
“The City
of Columbus has been a strong and valued fleet partner of Clean Fuels Ohio for
many years now,” said Andrew Conley, Interim Co-CEO of Clean Fuels Ohio. “The
City has been a leader in fleet sustainability for many years by focusing on
transportation decarbonization through deployment of a wide variety of
alternative fuels and vehicle technologies. Clean Fuels Ohio supports their
decarbonization-focused approach and is excited to see Columbus create a strong
climate action plan and join PCFO.”
Utilizing clean energy sources improves air
quality, a significant issue for the state. Ohio ranks 46th in the
nation in asthma rates for children ages 0-17. Poor air quality is a major
contributor to asthma rates, particularly in disproportionately impacted
communities, which is the leading reason for hospital ER visits in this age
group. Developing innovative solutions to harmful air pollution will also serve
to protect the health of all Columbus residents.
In 2020,
103,400 people were employed in clean energy jobs throughout the state, and
Ohio auto manufacturers are planning major investments to build more electric
vehicles in Ohio in the coming years. In addition, 39 companies that are either
headquartered in Ohio or are among the state’s 100 largest employers have
dedicated plans to be powered by 100% renewable energy by a specific date.
Cities like Columbus are joining with these
employers in making a commitment to spur the economic growth and development
that results from embracing clean technologies and advanced transportation. The
jobs of the future are in clean energy and clean transportation.