Fountain Hills Times Independent: Gallego: Don’t sit out this election — our climate future is depending on us

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Fountain Hill Times Independent

As I write this in mid-October, Phoenix is only now turning the corner from an intense summer that logged more than 100 days of 100-degree-plus temperatures. Headlines this week evoked residents’ sighs of relief.

It wasn’t always like this: this summer, we experienced 70 days of 110+ degree heat — more than three times the average over the last 30 years. Our summers now are more intense and prolonged than ever before.

And we’re not alone: from destructive flooding in Asheville to wildfire across the West, we see examples of climate change-fueled disasters worldwide. Even in the U.S., the most resourced country in the world, the enormous impact of climate change on our lives is unmistakable. Though political messaging dominates our airwaves as Election Day nears, combating climate change cannot be a partisan priority relegated to the sidelines. Our long-term economic security and the health of our children are at stake.

The data unequivocally demonstrates that the world’s carbon emissions are the number one factor driving climate change. Scientists warn that we must rapidly reduce carbon pollution to avoid the worst impacts.

The last few years have shown what is possible when we invest in our country’s infrastructure, onshore manufacturing and transition toward a clean energy economy. Monumental funding from the Biden-Harris administration has empowered cities to make near-term investments with long-term payoffs, delivering results that will benefit Americans now and for generations. The actions of individual communities not only provide immediate improvements for residents' day-to-day lives, but they also collectively bring us closer to a modern, clean energy economy fit for 21st-century American leadership.

In Phoenix, we are embracing these federal initiatives by helping residents replace their appliances to save on energy, conserve water, ensure solar power is accessible for all, and plant native trees to improve the comfort and walkability of our neighborhoods. An increasing number of cities are collaborating with businesses and philanthropic partners because we know rising to this challenge will require a comprehensive approach.

According to Net-Zero Tracker, the world's most comprehensive open-source independent review of global net zero targets, the climate action “ambition loop” is creating the right conditions to build a flourishing, clean economy for all Americans. The ambition loop refers to the way different levels of government, from local to national, encourage each other to take stronger climate action, creating a positive cycle of progress.

For example, in 2016, not a single state in the U.S. had a net-zero target. Now, 19 of them do, and 12 of the states’ net zero targets are enshrined in law. These net-zero targets are a commitment to clean air, good green jobs and safe and healthy communities.

At the municipal level, 32 of the U.S. cities with more than 500,000 people have set net-zero targets, including the city of Phoenix. In the private sector, nearly half of the U.S. companies in the Forbes Global 2000 list have a net-zero target or similar. These are all important signals that the clean transition is weaving its way into the fabric of our economy, providing a springboard for the U.S. to regain its lead in the race to net zero while addressing the existential challenge of our time. In the face of increasingly frequent and destructive extreme weather events, climate action is increasingly understood to be not just a satellite interest for those who are passionate about the environment, but an economic and public health imperative upon which all other priorities depend.

Phoenix is a globally recognized leader in climate adaptation and mitigation, not just because our community’s culture provides fertile ground for bold, innovative policies — but out of sheer necessity as an ever-adapting desert city. We are facing an unprecedented drought along the precious yet over-allocated Colorado River, historic demand for energy coupled with exponential growth in the Valley, and ongoing air quality challenges. It is more important than ever to double down on our climate commitments. In Phoenix, this work is moving full steam ahead.

Just a few weeks ago, we released our first Climate Action Plan Progress Report, which, among many milestones since the plan was passed in 2021, showed an impressive 20.5% decrease in per capita greenhouse gas emissions since 2012.

But we must do more to reach our goals — and collaborating with businesses, community leaders, and regional partners will help us get there. Whether it’s making long-term investments to bolster our water security or requiring more diverse and reliable energy infrastructure — we need creativity and foresight from those in elected office. We cannot afford to backslide on our progress, nor can we turn power over to those who vow to undo critical advancements.

This November, we have a chance to make our voices heard in every level of government, from the White House to our state legislature. I encourage Phoenicians to vote for leaders who recognize the need for bold action to address the challenge of climate change — leaders who will move us forward, not backward. Our continued prosperity depends on it. 

Read the original op-ed here.