Milwaukee's Climate & Equity Plan

• In 2021, we offered video surveys, events, dozens of working group meetings to take citizen input into the Climate and Equity Plan. We are currently taking that input and developing the draft plan. 
• Following the 2022 public Town Hall, public feedback on the Draft Plan was provided by online survey in English and Spanish, electronic comment, and a series of in-person conversations in the community.
• You can also sign up for the ECO Newsletter or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (@ecoCityMKE) to stay up-to-date on progress.  

Ten Big Ideas

Click the titles below to read the DRAFT chapters in the forthcoming Climate & Equity Plan.

1. Healthy Home Energy Upgrades

Idea: Improve existing Milwaukeean homes to be energy efficient, lead-safe and healthy.

2. New Net Zero Energy Homes

Idea: Build new affordable, durable, energy efficient housing for Milwaukee neighborhoods, promoting for infill development and homeownership for low-to-moderate buyers.

3. Commercial Building Energy Benchmarking & Building Performance Standards

Idea: Improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings by tracking energy use and updating minimum requirements in existing buildings.

4. Electrify Transportation 

Idea: Implement a transition to electrified transportation and supporting infrastructure that lowers GHG emissions while strengthening broad access to affordable transportation.

5. People Centered Transportation & Urban Design

Idea: Reduce the total usage of passenger cars, SUVs, and light trucks.

6. Greening the Electric Grid

Idea: Use utility-scale investments to provide universal access to renewable energy and a just energy system for people of color.

7. Protect and Restore Nature in the City 

Idea: Conserve natural habitats and reintroduce native trees and plants to areas overwhelmed with paved surfaces.

8. Food Waste Reduction 

Idea: The City will initiate a public-private partnership to reduce food waste and reduce food insecurity as well as strategize to contribute to a society based on sustainable consumption.

9. Green Jobs Accelerator 

As our community prepares to combat current and oncoming climate change, we need a growing field of skilled, environmental professionals. The Green Jobs Accelerator would recruit, train, and connect people of color to these new green jobs and contracting opportunities. 

10. Resilience Ambassadors 

Idea: Highlight equity-specific strategies and develop a Resilience Ambassadors in order to educate, adapt, mitigate, and prepare for the impacts of climate change on the City’s infrastructure and people.

Read About the Plan for Implementation & Accountability

The Business-As-Usual (BAU) forecast (pictured above) is a projection of emissions through the year 2050 based on estimated population growth for Milwaukee, changes in fuel efficiency standards for vehicles, and anticipated shifts towards more renewable energy sources in our electricity grid. This BAU forecast, modeled by ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, indicates that the most effective measures will be those that tackle both electricity and natural gas consumption and vehicle-miles-traveled by gasoline and diesel vehicles.