THE
THE CITY
THE CITY OF SEATTLE ISN'T JUST DREAMING OF A GREENER FUTURE. THEY'RE ACTIVELY PLANNING FOR
ONE.
THE CITY HAS SET AN AMBITIOUS
GOAL TO QUITE LITERALLY
ELECTRIFY OUR TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM TO LEARN MORE I SPOKE
WITH MY NEW FRIEND ANDREA
PRATT.
THE CLIMATE AND TRANSPORTATION
PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE CITY
OF SEATTLE BEFORE WE DOVE INTO
THAT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO SET
SOME CONTEXT RIGHT HAPPY EARTH
DAY.
WE ARE IN A CLIMATE CRISIS FROM
WILDFIRES SMOKE DAYS THAT HAVE
TURNED INTO SMOKE WEEKS WE'RE
WATCHING ANIMALS AND PLANTS
DIE.
I MEAN IT'S JUST VERY IMPORTANT
THAT WE TAKE URGENT ACTION TO
AVOID CATASTROPHE.
AND IN SEATTLE, TRANSPORTATION
ACCOUNTS FOR 60 PERCENT OF OUR
CARBON POLLUTION IN THE CITY
AND WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS
OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE OUR
CLEAN CARBON FREE ELECTRICITY
TO ELECTRIFY EVERYTHING THAT
MOVES PEOPLE GOODS AND SERVICES
IN SEATTLE.
AND SO I WOULD SAY WE CALL IT
OUR NORTH STAR GOAL OF THE PLAN
IS TO DO JUST THAT ELECTRIFY
EVERYTHING THAT MOVES PEOPLE
GOODS AND SERVICES IN OUR CITY
TO REDUCE CLIMATE AND AIR
POLLUTION, TO INCREASE CLEAN
MOBILITY OPTIONS AND ALSO MOST
IMPORTANTLY TO BUILD A PIPELINE
OF GREEN JOBS AND WORKFORCE
DIVERSITY.
SO WE'RE REALLY ABOUT THIS PLAN
THAT SOUNDS INCREDIBLE.
THE JOBS, EVERYTHING OK?
WELL YOU ALL WANT TO DO THIS BY
WE HAVE A GOAL TO BE
CARBON NEUTRAL BY TWENTY FIFTY
AND SO WHAT WE DID IN THIS PLAN
WAS ESTABLISH SOME INTERIM 20
30 POLICY GOALS THAT WILL SET
US ON THE PATH TO BE
CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2050 AND IN
THE PLAN WE SPELL TO YOUR
ACTIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO
TAKE THAT WILL MAKE PROGRESS
TOWARDS THOSE TWENTY THIRTY
GOALS.
SO YOU'VE KIND OF THOUGHT ABOUT
THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE YET TO
COME BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE
ARE PROBABLY GOING TO SAY IT'S
IMPOSSIBLE TO BE COMPLETELY
CARBON NEUTRAL BY THEN.
BUT YOU'RE READY FOR THESE
CHALLENGES RIGHT?
WE ARE TOTALLY READY FOR THESE
CHALLENGES AND WE KNOW THESE
GOALS ARE AMBITIOUS BUT THEY'RE
ALSO ACHIEVABLE AND I DON'T
WANT TO UNDERSTATE THAT THIS IS
GOING TO BE HARD WORK.
YOU KNOW, AND THE CITY
OF SEATTLE CAN'T DO THIS IN A
SILO.
WE REALLY ARE COMMITTED TO
ACHIEVING THESE GOALS THROUGH
POLICIES, PARTNERSHIPS AND
PROGRAMS THAT IT'S GOING TO
TAKE TO REALLY YIELD THE
SYSTEMIC CHANGE THAT WE'RE
LOOKING FOR.
SO I CAN GIVE YOU A COUPLE
OF EXAMPLES SO WE'RE GOING TO
NEED TO MAKE STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE PRIVATE
SECTOR.
WE NEED CONSUMERS TO MAKE SMART
SUSTAINABLE CHOICES AND WE ALSO
NEED HELP FROM THE STATE AND
THE FEDS WITH ENABLING POLICIES
THAT WILL HELP US GO FURTHER
FASTER OR DEFINITELY UP FOR THE
CHALLENGE.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS A TERM I'VE
NEVER HEARD OF UNTIL TALKING
WITH YOU TODAY AND I WONDERED
IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN CLIMATE
JUSTICE.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND HOW DOES
IT FIGURE INTO YOUR PLAN?
SEATTLE'S APPROACH TO CLIMATE
IS TO REALLY WORK AT THE
INTERSECTION OF RACIAL JUSTICE
AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND WE HAVE
A PROGRAM THAT WE ESTABLISHED
STARTING IN TWENTY SIXTEEN THAT
WAS REALLY A FIRST IN THE
NATION TYPE OF PROGRAM WHERE WE
WORKED WITH COMMUNITIES TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR
PRIORITIES WERE AND HOW WE
COULD LIFT UP AND CENTER THOSE
PRIORITIES AND ALL OF OUR
ENVIRONMENTAL AND
TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION
IS NO EXCEPTION AND SO CLIMATE
JUSTICE I WOULD SAY IS HOW CAN
WE ACCRUE BENEFITS WHETHER
THAT'S CLEAN AIR BENEFITS,
CARBON POLLUTION BENEFITS TO
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN
DISENFRANCHIZED AND HARMED THE
MOST BY POLLUTION AND REALLY BY
CENTERING SOLUTIONS THAT SERVE
THOSE COMMUNITIES WILL REALLY
BE A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL
BOATS AND IF IT WORKS FOR THOSE
COMMUNITIES IT'LL WORK
ELSEWHERE.
AND SO THIS PLAN REALLY DOES
CENTER CLIMATE JUSTICE.
WE'VE WORKED WITH OUR COMMUNITY
PARTNERS FOR YEARS TO
UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT THEY
WANTED TO SEE OUT OF THIS WORK
AND WHAT WE HEARD FROM THEM WAS
THEY WANTED INCREASED
ELECTRIFIED TRANSIT OPTIONS.
THEY WANT IMPROVED ACCESS TO
ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND CHARGING
STATIONS AND THEY ALSO WANT TO
CONNECT FOLKS WITH JOBS THAT
NEED THEM THE MOST.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED
THAT WE LED WITH THOSE
PRIORITIES IN THIS PLAN GREAT
GOALS, GREAT PRIORITIES.
AND I ALSO