Zionsville releases first climate action plan

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Zionsville Mayor Emily Styron has released the town’s first Climate Action Plan. The plan focuses on community-wide efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of keeping emissions stable while the town’s population continues to grow.

“The town is taking steps to do our part to reduce local GHG emissions and promote sustainability,” Styron said. “We need every household and business to support these strategies and goals – opt in to the curbside compost service, ride your bike to school and work, find out if solar energy can work for you, volunteer to serve on a Town committee, advocate for more green areas and pathways.”

In the spring of 2020, the town conducted a GHG inventory to establish the quantity of emissions and their source. The town’s population growth was then used to determine how its cumulative emissions will change if no action is taken.

The town says it used the information gathered to work with the public and other stakeholders to identify what could be done within the community to reduce emissions. That led to the Climate Action Plan, which breaks down GHG reduction initiatives into four categories: Energy, Transportation, Solid Waste and Sustainability & Resilience.

The town says it will provide updates on the plan’s progress every three years. At those times, the town plans to incorporate new sustainability and GHG reduction strategies, as well as update older strategies as needed.

According to Earth Mama, if 300 households participate and compost just 25% of their solid waste weekly, the town will divert 86 tons of waste from landfills annually. The town says it hopes the plan can help the community reduce its impact on the environment while working alongside other Midwestern communities.

You can view the full Climate Action Plan by clicking here.