Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ) & Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC)

2. CLEAN WEBINAR Kimberly Hill Knott, Director of PolicyDetroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ) & Project Director, Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC) Note: The Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC) is an initiative of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice

3. Presentation Overview • Who is Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ) • Definition of Environmental Justice • What is the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC) • DCAC Goals, Stakeholders, Workgroups • Greenhouse Gas Inventory • Current Activities & Accomplishments for 2011-2016

4. DWEJ MissionDetroiters Working for Environmental Justice envisions Detroit as the global model of a vibrant urban center where all thrive in environmental, economic and social health. Vision DWEJ champions local and national collaboration to advance environmental justice and sustainable redevelopment. We foster clean, healthy and safe communities through innovative policy, education and workforce initiatives.

5. Environmental Justice (EJ): a social justice, grassroots movement that seeks to protect communities of color and low-income communities from being overburdened with pollution. Citizens of different races and classes experience disparate environmental quality directly affecting their public health and quality of life. The movement uses policy advocacy, research, community capacity building and organizing to advance environmental justice. Environmental Justice refers to those cultural norms and values, rules, regulations, behaviors, policies, and decisions to support sustainable communities where people can interact with confidence that their environment is safe, nurturing, and productive. Environmental Justice is served when people realize their highest potential without experiencing the –isms. (Environmental Justice Leadership Forum)

6. DWEJ’s Climate Change Commitment • Since DWEJ’s inception in 1994, we have been a leading voice in advocating for sustainable communities in Detroit. • Address many of the factors leading to climate change, which have adversely impacted low-income and minority communities . • In 2011, DWEJ convened key stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to form the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC).

7. DCAC Goals: • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the sustainability and well-being of the City of Detroit. • Increase the resilience of the city’s social, built, and natural environments.

8. Detroit Climate Action Plan Process • Develop CAP for Detroit • Develop a comprehensive strategy to address GHG emissions related to land use, public health, building design, energy use, water demand, and waste generation. • Identify approaches unique to Detroit to achieve GHG emission reductions. • Create a roadmap to reducing community and municipal GHG emissions associated with both existing and future actions and activities. • Vet strategies through a strong community engagement process.

9. DCAC Workgroups Image Courtesy of University of Michigan Urban Planning Students, Dr. Larissa Larsen & Eric Dueweke

10. DCAC Sector Meetings

11. DCAC Youth Climate Summit • DWEJ has convened three youth climate summits (2014, 2015, 2016) and we are in the process of convening the third. They've been focused on climate justice and climate planning, with a green career component. • The summit in 2015 was unique in that we were selected by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to participate in its youth summit program, focused on the21st Conference of the Parties in Paris (meeting to agree to global greenhouse gas reductions). • Typically we have incorporated the green career session into the youth summit. It's an open session where students can visit booths and ask the vendors questions. We ask the vendors to be ready to describe their work and how they became interested in and qualified for their roles. We also provide a list for the students of summer job and volunteer programs, school programs, scholarships, etc. This year, we are looking to have a green career session that is standalone, so that we can have more time (and hopefully, more vendors, potentially with a field trip). We emphasize emerging green career paths but also how to be "green" and sustainable within existing business and institutions.

12. DCAC Youth Summits

13. DCAC Steering Committee & Workgroup Chairs • Paul Max, (SC) City of Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environment • Natalie Sampson, PhD(SC, Chair: Public Health) - University of Michigan School of Public Health Climate Change Research Team • Sandra Turner-Handy, (Chair: Solid Waste) Michigan Environmental Council • Kimberly Hill Knott, (Acting Chair: Energy)- Detroit Climate Action Collaborative/ DWEJ • Kimberly Hill Knott (Acting Chair, Parks Public Space and Water Infrastructure)- Detroit Climate Action Collaborative/DWEJ • Elizabeth Gibbons, (SC) - Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA) • Nick Schroeck, (SC) - Great Lakes Environmental Law Center – Wayne State University Law School

14. DCAC Workgroup Partners • City of Detroit General Services Department • Detroit Area Green Sector Skills Alliance • DTE Energy • General Motors • Greening of Detroit • Ford Motor Company • The McNeely Building Group, LLC • Newman Consulting Group, LLC • Zero Waste Detroit • City of Detroit Department of Homeland Security • Pure Eco Environmental Solutions • Sierra Club- Detroit Chapter • University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment • U.S. Green Building Council Detroit Regional Chapter • Wayne State University- Office of Campus Sustainability • State of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (M-DEQ) • Detroit Housing Commission

15. Addressing Climate Change

16. Key Steps to Establishing an Effective CAP: DCAC lessons learned • Develop an inclusive planning process • Conduct a Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climatology Report • Engage the Mayor’s Office and key city leadership • Establish a comprehensive process that engages key stakeholders in first identifying their contribution to climate change and then identifying the potential impacts that it has on their operations and community • After key stakeholders clearly understand their contribution and its impact, which are different for businesses and communities, they should identify mitigation and adaptation goals • After developing the goals, identify short-term and long-term action steps, which will consider scale of action and costs • Use that information to prioritize the short-and long-term action steps • Invite someone from a relevant city department to serve on the Steering or Advisory Committee—Keep City Government close • Make sure that you partner with colleges or a state or city health department to involve scientists and academic climate health experts (professors, doctoral students, climate epidemiologist)– they help to add a strong human touch that is supported by intense research and resources • Also consider partnering with hospitals and the municipal Department of Homeland Security, which handles emergency events – they should play a role in developing your plan • Make sure that Homeland Security includes climate change in their Hazard Mitigation Plan, especially if they are in the process of updating the document • Become familiar with green infrastructure projects within your community and align your efforts with existing efforts– your voice/expertise may allow others to expand their focus to be more inclusive of environmental justice communities

17. Building Climate Change Resilience: the Community • Develop a STRONG Community Engagement Program • Ensure that residents are actively involved in identifying and addressing some of the climate –related issues in their community • If the City has a Neighborhoods Office, partner with them to help train community leaders on developing a climate resilient community– DCAC Detroit Climate Ambassadors • Partner with a variety of partners (i.e. energy efficiency/sustainability expert, architect, urban planner and climate health expert) to begin the process of developing innovative adaptation strategies • There are many ways that communities can confront climate challenges to both build community resilience and lessen the impact of climate change. Most of these strategies are either mitigation or adaptation, although some can be both. Mitigation examples include taking public transportation, weatherizing homes, and transitioning to other sources of energy (wind, solar, etc.). Adaptation examples include planting a rain garden to help manage runoff or using passive cooling strategies for warmer summer temperatures, and infrastructure improvements (i.e. building elevation)

18. Building Climate Change Resilience: the Community • Communities are envisioning and enacting climate action plans in response to the various climate challenges that they face. • Climate action plans can be tailored to the strengths and goals of each community because climate change affects many areas of our lives. For example, climate action plans can also incorporate mutual goals of food security, youth leadership, economic development and other areas that communities have identified as important for their futures. • For instance, education and engagement of residents and contractors will be at the heart of defining and achieving the climate goals of our Homes and Neighborhoods Workgroup.

19. Detroit Greenhouse Gas Inventory • Municipal – includes emissions from all operations that local government owns and controls. • Community – includes emissions from community activities (i.e., energy transportation, agricultural, industrial, and waste).

20. Detroit Greenhouse Gas Inventory • Municipal – Emissions from Detroit’s municipal government operations accounted for 11% of total citywide emissions (1.18 million tons CO2e) in 2012 • Municipal buildings and facilities were the largest source of emissions contributing 58% of emissions in 2012, solid waste, which includes solid waste incineration and landfill disposal, was the second largest municipal source, contributing approximately 21% of emissions. Wastewater treatment emissions contributed approximately 15%. • Community – Non-Municipal operations accounted for 89 % of city-wide emissions (9.4 million tons CO2e) • Energy use in Buildings and Facilities, contributed 6.7 million tons of CO2e (63% of total 2012 citywide emissions) • Transportation sector contributed 3.2 million tons of CO2e (30% to total citywide emissions) Only 3% of electricity was generated from renewable energy. In 2012, DTE Energy’s fuel mix predominantly consisted of coal (76%)

21. Vulnerability Assessment & Indicator Development • Vulnerability Assessment- Identify & quantify vulnerabilities - Tool for future decision-making • Indicator Development- Based on identified vulnerabilities - Trend & direction

22. Supportive Climate Policy Initiatives • Local Climate Ordinance that will support the Climate Action Plan and institutionalize greenhouse gas reduction targets • Working with colleagues throughout the state of Michigan to promote clean energy among state legislators • Clean Power Plan—working with Environmental Justice leaders to ensure that the State Implementation Plan is supportive/protective of low-income and communities of color • Federal legislation to promote clean energy

23. DCAC Progress Dec 2011 – Current: • Established DCAC • Met with key leaders in Mayors Office and City Council • Formed 6 Workgroups: Public Health, Energy, Parks, Public Space & Water Infrastructure, Homes and Neighborhoods, Solid Waste, Business and Institutions • Detroit Climatology Report developed • Partnered with the University of Michigan to develop the framework for the 6 DCAC Workgroups • Partnered with the University of Michigan to Develop the Climate Change Vulnerability in Detroit Report • Selected as a U of M SNRE Master’s Project – Students conducted a GHG Inventory at the Municipal and Community level • Partnered with Wayne State University to draft for the Detroit City Council Climate Ordinance • Completed the Workgroup Frameworks which outlines mitigation and adaptation short-term and long-term action steps • Completed the Municipal and Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Report – Community and Municipal • Completed an economic analysis of climate change • Launched the Detroit Climate Ambassador Program • Launched the Detroit Smart Neighborhood Program

24. Thank You Questions??? Contact: Kimberly Hill Knott, Director of Policy Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (313) 833-3935 Kimberly@dwej.org Leila Mekias, Program Coordinator Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (313) 833-3935 Leila@dwej.org For more information on DWEJ visit: www.dwej.org For more information on DCAC visit: www.detroitclimateaction.org

25. Sources • Ellsworth, P. (2013). The 21st Century Investor: Ceres Blueprint for Sustainable Investing. Summary Report. Ceres. • Schwartz, H. (2010). Risk assessment and risk management for infrastructure planning and investment. The Bridge, 40 (3), 14-21 • Busman, F., & Freed, R. (2008). Adapting to Climate Change: A Business Approach.ICF International. • Rain Garden: Mardueng (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) Research support: Leila Mekias, Program Coordinator, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice