Oakland Commits To Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2045

Huge shout out to the City of Oakland whose 2030 Equity and Climate Action Plan and a Resolution committing Oakland to achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2045 passed unanimously by Oakland’s City Council on Tuesday night.

“These are groundbreaking steps for Oakland, setting the stage for our work over the coming decade. Achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 will require profound transformation of our building, transportation, and waste sectors,” read Shayna H. Hirshfield-Gold, 2030 ECAP Project Manager’s email announcement.

It was an honor to be an adviser on the Material Consumption + Waste section, as a Board Member of the Reuse Alliance. You must check out page 70:

“Support the Reuse, Repair, Recovery, and Refurbishment Economy. By 2025, create a community reuse and repair program to increase waste diversion, reduce material consumption, and create green jobs. Specifically:

🔨Explore creating or designating live/work or other spaces dedicated to material repair and upcycling, and selling of repaired and upcycled goods.

🏫Remove land use and other barriers to developing businesses that reuse or repair consumer goods, where doing so will not adversely impact the surrounding residential neighborhood.

🗄Develop resources to support direct donation to charitable organizations.

🗣Increase public awareness of and access to opportunities for reuse, product rentals, repair, and donation.

🏗 Support, regulate, and expand citywide reuse infrastructure.

📊 Establish a methodology to assess benefits of reuse and repair programs to goals for waste diversion, GHG emissions, and economic development.

👩‍🏭 Partner with local vocational programs and/or OUSD to launch at least one high school or community college-level Repair Arts Academy.

🎉 Develop a grant, recognition, or incentive program to celebrate and encourage local repair businesses or leaders.”

That is an incredible vision for how to embed repair and reuse principles and practices in our community’s fabric and culture while strengthening our small business and non-profit communities.

Read the full plan here: https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Oakland-ECAP-07-24.pdf