County Will Soon Rank Projects by Climate Impact

Solar installation, 1600 E. College Ave. Photo taken March 16th 2021 by Graham Kilmer.

Milwaukee County is well on its way to developing a way to rank government projects on the ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Once complete, this new scorecard for government projects will give policymakers a way to measure how government spending is helping the county achieve its emissions goals.

The county is engaged in a multi-year planning process to create a roadmap to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050, and a 45% reduction from 2005 levels by 2030.

In April, the Milwaukee County Board requested these criteria be developed. County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson sponsored the resolution with co-sponsorship from Sup. Steven Shea. Nicholson said in a statement then that the criteria would help policymakers keep climate concerns “front and center.”

Staff from the county’s Office of Sustainability have developed a rough draft of these criteria. Projects would be reviewed for two factors: direct emissions reductions and “co-benefits” that are positive outcomes not directly related to emissions reductions.

Examples of co-benefits include community engagement, economic inclusion, public health improvements, improving government efficiency or effectiveness, workforce development and climate resiliency, according to a report by the sustainability office. The last co-benefit would include ancillary benefits that don’t reduce emissions, but improve preparedness for climate change effects like extreme heat and flooding. Sustainability staff also cite research that asserts tracking co-benefits tends to produce “more successful climate action programs.”

The county already has a committee set up to review infrastructure and maintenance projects by other criteria. This new rubric will give the committee another lens through which to view the government’s capital projects.

The new climate criteria will be completed by summer 2024, as the exact criteria and co-benefits will be guided by the county’s comprehensive Climate Action 2050 plan.

A recent survey of county residents found they had significant concerns about the effect climate change will have on critical systems in the community and little confidence in county government’s ability to protect vulnerable residents from climate change.

The new climate project criteria could give policymakers another tool to better respond to both of these challenges, as they shore up important infrastructure and take a more proactive approach to preparing for climate change.

Read the full report on Urban Milwaukee.