Burlington 7 degrees warmer than rest of Vermont 

by Joan Shannon

Burlington has a proud tradition of leadership on the environment. As Mayor, I want to build on this tradition with continued innovation that also supports and aligns with our City’s efforts on economic development, job creation, and development of affordable housing.

In 2014, Burlington became the first City in the nation to source 100 percent of its power from renewable generation. I have supported the City’s Net Zero Energy Roadmap, which lays out an ambitious path for moving away from fossil fuels and transitioning to clean heating and transportation technologies. As Mayor, we will take strong climate action that further reduces greenhouse gas emissions while doing so in a way that is economically beneficial for our community. We also need to invest in cost-effective nature-based climate solutions that will lead to better resilience in the city. I was pleased to support our first-ever nature-based climate solutions plan that was recently adopted.

Burlington’s actions alone will not make a dent in climate change, but if we create a replicable model that others follow, we create change that has the potential to make a meaningful difference to our planet. To be an example that other communities look to on climate, we must show positive environmental and economic results while creating replicable policies and initiatives. Burlington has shown that switching to an electric vehicle (EV) can be good for the consumer because it is cheaper to charge an EV in Burlington than using gasoline. We’ve shown it is good for the local economy, because approximately 75 cents of every dollar spent with our electric utility stays in the Vermont economy, while less than a quarter of every dollar spent on fossil fuels stays in Vermont’s economy. Further, we’ve shown it can be good for ratepayers because EVs help us use the grid more efficiently and provide revenue for our public power utility that can be reinvested to support Burlington’s climate action goals.

However, as we work to enact climate policies, we must be mindful of the impact they have on Burlingtonians. We cannot create a policy in Burlington that simply drives people and business investment out of our community to neighboring towns that are less walkable, less bikeable, and less transit-friendly. Doing so will not reduce emissions, it will make things worse by moving business and institutional investment to communities that are more car-centric and have a dirtier power supply. We should also be certain that our climate policies do not make housing creation too onerous and unaffordable.

Burlington needs the support of our businesses, non-profit organizations, large institutions such as UVM and UVM Medical Center, and all our residents in making this transition happen. Climate action truly requires an All Hands on Deck approach. As your Mayor, I will work with trusted community partners in implementing strong policies that are achievable, financially responsible, and meaningful.

Even as we make investments to mitigate emissions, we also must recognize that climate impacts are already being felt in Vermont and across the planet. Burlington’s winter temperatures have increased 7 degrees in the last 50 years. Burlington has been identified in a study by Climate Central as the number one City in the US for increased winter temperature since 1970.

Burlington is on average 7 degrees warmer than more rural areas of Vermont. Like other forward-looking cities, we need can counter the impact of heating through strategic investment in trees, parks, and natural systems, that cool our city, sequester carbon, soak up stormwater, and clean the air. This speaks to the importance of preserving and restoring our natural areas, open spaces, and parks and supporting additional climate resilience efforts. We can also create habitat in the city on school grounds, park edges, and yards that will bolster cooling and native species and slow stormwater and soak up excess nutrients before they get to the lake.

Lake Champlain is the lifeblood of our community. It is our water source, a publicly accessible recreational destination, and a key pillar of our community’s economy. Our Lake is challenged by climate change, but also by pollution. As our streets and green spaces are increasingly covered with litter and debris, we need to ensure that we are not draining these pollutants into the Lake through our storm drains. Moreover, we have seen too many summer days where Burlingtonians cannot safely cool off in the waters of our Lake, and we must work with the state and federal leaders to ensure we protect our Lake and keep it as a vibrant resource for our community and a healthy fish and wildlife ecosystem.