Carbon Free DC: The District of Columbia's strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045

Image via DOEE.

From DOEE:

The District is experiencing the impacts of climate change today. At the same time, many residents face pressing social and economic challenges resulting from a legacy of government systems and policies that created and will perpetuate racial inequity until we transform them. The District has not wavered in our commitment to climate action, and as we adopt this strategy to become carbon neutral and climate resilient by 2045, we recognize that tackling climate change is part of a broader commitment to advance health, opportunity, prosperity, and equity for all District residents.

Slashing our carbon pollution will require both imagination and bold action, from revisioning our streets, to transforming how we power our homes and buildings. While a climate strategy alone will not solve the racial inequities at the heart of our city’s biggest challenges, the scale of change required offers new avenues to advance opportunity. The community’s vision has shaped the District’s approach to 2045 and will guide future climate action as we craft and implement solutions.

What is carbon neutrality?

Like balancing a checkbook, being carbon neutral means in any given year, we cannot send more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than we remove. The District’s work to cut emissions, will start with efficiency first—using fewer resources and wasting less—and then focus on using clean, renewable energy in our homes, buildings, and transportation systems. There is a lot we can do as a city, but we cannot eliminate carbon emissions by ourselves. Collaboration with our neighbors, our region, and the federal government will be an essential part of the District’s pathway to carbon neutrality by 2045.