Item #6 - Office of Sustainability Update on Austin Climate Equity Plan Implementation — original pdf

Backup

Austin Climate Equity Plan | JSC Update September 28, 2022 1 Plan Implementation Updates ● Net Zero Section in the FY23 Budget proposal (pages 138-143) https://assets.austintexas.gov/budget/22-23/downloads/FY23_Proposed_Budge t.pdf ● 2nd quarterly briefing of the year just occurred yesterday ○ June - Overview of OOS approach and general implementation ○ September - Transportation Electrification ○ January - Sustainable Buildings ● Implementation Dashboard is live ● The 2nd Community Climate Ambassadors Cohort launched in August ● Starting this Fall, a new Climate Equity Plan Community Task Force, focused on measuring equity in implementation 2 3 Implementation Dashboard What’s in the dashboard now? Progress toward the Net-Zero by 2040 target ● ● Summary of efforts around the Overarching Strategies ● Work status snapshots for the 74 Strategies ● Coming next: metrics on the 17 quantitative goals 4 Implementation Dashboard ● Over 100 updates from internal and external partners on their work to implement the Plan ● About 70% of strategies are already Underway or Starting Soon ● ● This work will serve as a launchpad to focus next steps with partners The public can read all of this info and more live on the Dashboard now Climate Ambassadors! 6 Ambassador Highlights ● We have 9 ambassadors signed on ● They’ve gone through an Equity training and a Civic engagement workshop ● They’ve identified strategies from the Climate Equity Plan and have started working on Community Action Projects that relate to those strategies ● October’s ambassador meeting will include City staff and community partners to find areas to collaborate or provide guidance 7 Community Action Projects (by Section) Sustainable Buildings Transportation & Land Use Natural Systems Working with community orgs to conduct more accessible outreach around preparing for changing climate Conducting outreach in order to create recommendations for how to improve existing and planned transit stops Enhancing community engagement around affordable housing by surveying renters, first-time homebuyers, and folks living in co-ops Holding an event to offer youth a guided experience in nature that delves into their perceptions of green spaces and gentrification 8 Community Task Force - Project Concept 9 Where we’ve been Steering Committee for the plan, 2 years of work, Community Ownership Model Adoption of the plan supported by Staff, Community, Council in alignment Added 5 new members to the JSC for content / equity coverage Interest in creating a “working group” of the JSC, lack of focus, no dedicated support from OOS, no traction Held 2 Workshops with Stakeholders on Implementation 10 What we heard in the Workshops Desired Purpose of a Community Input Working Group ● Accountability in City govt (leadership, policies, budget) ● Assist with collaboration and partnership development between City and NGOs ● Support for projects ● Raising outside funding If we formed a community group, who is in the group? ● Community leaders/community members/those most impacted ● Folks with expertise (e.g. legal, policy, natural systems, etc.) ● City leadership ● Business partners, stakeholders in the business community Potential action items? ● Guide community-led implementation ● Assisting with identifying and building up more community leaders ● Work on “Shovel ready” projects 11 Our Discussions “accountable” ● There is not a mechanism for volunteer groups to keep government ● It doesn’t seem like there is momentum for a Community Owned Group ● If staff are going to run the group, it needs to align with our structure, goals, processes, objectives, and place in the bureaucracy ● A group to review / comment on city work doesn’t create much value, doesn’t ● Community ownership model does create a lot of value, when setup build trust correctly ● Create a clearly defined group with scope, tasks, final product all agreed upon so we can work together, build trust, solve problems / issues and move this work forward 12 Proposed Way Forward Climate Equity Implementation Task Force - 1 year term, 1 (2 hour) meeting a month, plus additional work between meetings - Offer to pay participants $500-1000 Focused Project / Task to complete - - Equity as the focus - Community Ownership Model of Decision Making Benefits of this Direction - Clear project to collaborate on with a defined commitment - Build trust / relationships - Distinct Product at the end Participants: OOS Staff 4-5 Equity Office and EDI PMs from other departments 2-3 JSC Members 2-3 former Steering Committee Members 5-10 New Interested Community Members Timeline: Sept-Oct - Buy in / definition Nov-Dec - Recruiting / Planning / Setup Jan - Kickoff Task Force to run from Jan - Dec 2023 13 Project Focus - Measuring Equity The City needs this, beyond only the ACEP, to increase prioritization of this work in planning and push accountability. “If it’s not measured, there’s no way it can get managed” We’ll get support on this beyond just our team, also EDI PMs in other departments Initial concepts developed this summer by our EDF Fellow Need community input and insight to finalize - An overarching approach - Prioritization across the plan - Data collection - Qualitative Stories - Communication Plan / Audiences 14 Thank you! More information: ● austintexas.gov/climateplan ● txetra.org ● ev.austinenergy.com