Action today, livability for tomorrow. Climate change is an urgent problem that requires action today and demands the highest level of accountability from those we trust to act. Coastal cities have never been in more danger. Weather and flooding disasters are creating unprecedented and unavoidable dangers that disproportionately impact lower income communities. Charleston must take an active stance that adapts to this reality.

The time for distant goals and objectives has passed. Without tangible, concrete actions the communities that are most endangered by the threat of extreme weather and flooding events will continue to suffer the effects for generations to come.

Charleston needs an experienced leader who is prepared to foster partnerships and collaborative initiatives between the city, the private sector and the state and federal government to take immediate action. The City should establish incentives to ensure private companies/industry buy-in for this effort.

There are over 450 federal programs that are connected to climate change, energy usage, environmental justice, and other connected matters. As Mayor, I will focused on aligning the right programs to secure federal and philanthropic resources to implement, scale, and maintain programming and operations so we can truly provide the bold leadership needed in this space for the greater Charleston area to be around for centuries to come.

We have already lost out on direct resources for cities like ours within the American Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and more. We can’t keep letting these generational opportunities help other cities while we “get ready” and shift things around. By only doing what we are, we will only get but so far.

As Mayor, I will:

• Retrofit Charleston to grow smartly, create 10 minute neighborhoods and 30 minute city centers rooted in public and other modes of transportation; and lead from the front with an all approach and whole of community in practice, transparency, and accountability

• Restructure the Mayor’s Office of Resilience, Sustainability, and Emergency Management to account for environmental justice initiatives, spending, savings, green infrastructure planning, and green workforce development initiatives

• Create a Justice40 Clean Energy & Environmental Justice Advisory Commission to provide recommendations, oversight, and alignment on collaborative activities to reduce carbon emissions and environmental impacts in low to moderate census track areas

• Implement energy efficiency and environmental justice measures into city ordinances and day to day operations

• Establish net-zero construction goals, decarbonize public buildings, and update ordinances to align policy, practice, and accountability to rebuild and sustain Charleston and our region’s infrastructure with resilience in mind

• Break down internal silos in order to foster collaboration, leverage resources, and intentionally align efforts across all boards and commissions

• Explore Green Bonds to secure additional public/private resources for sustainable green infrastructure

• Explore Commercial and Property Assessed Clean Energy models for financing energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements

• Increase resources to local non-profits organizations to scale activities that center on the “Whole of Community” approach in reducing carbon emissions, protecting wetlands, and leveraging community based applications

• Establish a Green Infrastructure Portfolio Standard for all development

• Create resiliency hubs in targeted areas to promote good health, minimize environmental impacts, and serve as a resource of distribution and services

• Produce a “Getting to Zero” toolkit that is usable for residents and business owners

• Establish a community benefits ordinance so developers layout the health and environmental impacts their proposed projects will yield

• Convene community, public, and private sector leaders in this space annually

• Establish lines of efforts to plant or save a minimum of 2,500 trees annually and align the needed maintenance for it

• Plan and pursue new markets for greater diversity of education, jobs, and business opportunities with the greater energy sector