Environmental Justice and Equity Implementation Committee

The vision for Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan is to implement just and equitable solutions to reduce the city’s emissions contributing to global climate change and prepare for the local impacts of increasing temperatures and precipitation. In Bethlehem and across the world, low-income populations and black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) have contributed the least to the problem of climate change but are already bearing the brunt of its impacts, including extreme heat and flooding. The disproportionate exposure of these frontline communities to climate-related harms is only projected to increase as global temperatures rise. In this way, every failure to act quickly and decisively on climate is an environmental justice issue.

The Environmental Justice and Equity Implementation Committee meets with the ideas and goals from this section in mind.

Phases

Phases overview

Phase 1: Identify Year 1 & 2 Goals

Identify Year 1 & 2 Goals

Phase 2: Implement Year 1 & 2 Goals

Implement Year 1 & 2 Goals

Phase 3: Identify Year 3 Goals

Identify Year 3 Goals

Phase 4: Implement Year 3 Goals

Implement Year 3 Goals

Phase 5: Identify Year 4 Goals

Identify Year 4 Goals

Phase 6: Implement Year 4 Goals

Implement Year 4 Goals

Phase 7: Identify Year 5 Goals

Identify Year 5 Goals

Identify Year 1 & 2 Goals

May 1, 2022 4:00 AM - May 8, 2022 4:00 AM

Year 1 & 2 Goals Include:

Maintain community green spaces and native plants to combat local pollution.
Intentionally promote existing initiatives that impact frontline communities through the Health Bureau.
Ask developers to plant appropriate trees when they start new construction projects.
Create shade structures in existing parks to increase cooling to reduce incidences of heat strokes and heat exhaustion.
Strengthen partnerships to increase accessibility to healthy food and fresh produce for frontline communities.
Collaborate with BASD to empower youth in amplifying their voices on issues around access to recreation opportunities, green space, and more.
Creating and supporting a Climate and Environmental Justice Council with residents from frontline communities that will work with the Steering Committee create a framework for the implementation of Climate Action Plan initiatives and aid in the policy making process.