Implementing a long-term, county-wide climate action plan could result in $6.4 billion in energy savings over the next 35 years, according to a draft proposal presented at a virtual town hall Jan. 18.
“It’s really an impressive story that really shows the economic benefit of a climate action plan, and that implementing one is an economic strategy,” said Yuill Herbert, co-founder and principal of international climate mitigation and planning company Sustainability Solutions Group.
Herbert was one of two key presenters at the town hall organized by Charleston County Council. He was joined by Jared Genova, community planning and resilience senior planner with Civix, an international planning company. The draft plan is part of an ongoing effort stemming from the council’s 2021 climate action resolution that encourages the development and implementation of an equity-centered, community-based, integrated climate action plan.
Taking action
The current draft plan, which is not yet publicly available, details actions in several categories, including energy efficiency, land-use zoning, transportation, enabling actions, waste reduction and diversion, agriculture and forestry, and renewable energy.
The unique geography and growth pattern of Charleston puts emphasis on a couple of key areas, though, Genova said.
“One of the things we hear a lot about in Charleston is growth, and the pressure that comes with it, including traffic and threats to agricultural and coastal land,” he said at the town hall. “This becomes really critical to creating those balances between preserving spaces and utilizing them to their highest and best use.”
That balance can make it difficult to construct large-scale solar farms, for example, despite the cost and climate benefits they could provide, according to the draft plan. But smaller efforts can provide large benefits, too, Genova said.
“Increasing tree cover has a multitude of benefits,” he said. “In some cases … the tree cover itself can reduce heat exposure and make it so you do not have to cool a space as much, which in turn, has energy benefits. And this is definitely something that has had equity implications over the years — it’s very clear low-income areas often have fewer trees and fewer large, high-quality trees.”
Dealing with water
One of the hardest-to-ignore challenges to overcome in the Lowcountry is water.
“Another benefit of a climate action plan that isn’t represented in terms of dollars that people experience on a day to day basis is avoiding the damage from climate change,” Herbert said. “You can’t really count it in the ledger, but it’s still important to note.”
Genova agreed.
“In a case like coastal South Carolina, flooding is a major concern,” he said. “Being able to manage your water so the volume of water isn’t overwhelming the systems we already have — it’s not necessarily going to lower greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s something that is absolutely critical to continuing to thrive in the Lowcountry.
“That said, a lot of those investments can have other effects to reduce energy use elsewhere, and depending on the scale, can even act as carbon sinks,” he added.
For example, Genova said, flood-prone communities may spend a lot of money and energy repairing flood damage or pumping water from one area to another. Reducing flooding reduces those energy-consumption costs.
Equitable action
Equitable solutions were a key component of the draft plan, organizers said.
“Over the many conversations we’ve had over the last few months, one of the major points that keeps coming up has been a focus on equity,” Genova said. “It’s about making sure a lot of these investments are happening in low-income or disadvantaged areas.”
Genova added that one of the best ways to ensure equitable implementation of the climate action plan is through engagement.
“This is a great opportunity to get funding and programs that really matter to the communities that need it,” he said.
Herbert said there are four ways to engage with the process:
- Read and review the draft plan when it comes out, and provide feedback.
- Talk to friends and neighbors about the project.
- Participate in upcoming county council meetings
- Choose one specific action, and champion it.
The draft plan is expected to be released for public comment in early March ahead of a county council briefing. Organizers are targeting early April for council approval.
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