Heavy rainfall brings flooding on Norfolk Street in Scott’s Addition. (Photo by Jay Paul)
A day before 300,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the James River, Richmond City Council members were already concerned about the ecology of the city. On July 26, 2021, Councilmember Katherine Jordan introduced a resolution to declare a climate and ecological emergency in the city, which passed unanimously.
The resolution is expected to be adopted at the council’s Sept. 13 meeting. Jordan says the resolution commits to plans of collaboration between City Council and the mayoral administration. It follows a resolution passed in 2020 to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“It will take all of us working together to mitigate the worst effects of our changing climate,” Jordan said in a statement. “Our city’s heat islands, extreme flooding, and areas of poor air quality, et cetera, are the results of human decisions. It will take human action to create a greener, healthier and more equitable city.”
Worldwide, more than 2,000 jurisdictions and local governments have issued similar declarations, according to the website climateemergencydeclaration.org.
“Recognizing climate change as an emergency is a matter of social justice and equity,” says 9th District Councilmember Michael Jones, “especially in regards to the harm caused by urban heat islands and the prevalence of flooding in predominantly Black and brown communities.”
Organizations including the Richmond Green City Commission, the Southern Environmental Law Center, Green New Deal VA and ACLU Richmond expressed support for the legislation.
“Richmond City Council is taking the right step in declaring a climate emergency,” says Councilmember Andreas Addison, “and we must back it with comprehensive reform to our land use, housing, transportation and sustainability policies in order to build a more resilient city together.”
