Following the release of a worrying U.N. climate change report, D.C. is considering a new legislation which can turn the district into a 100 percent clean energy city by 2032.
This week, the district held a hearing at the Wilson Building to assess and consider the new law. Among 87 people who signed up to testify at the hearing, many supported parts of the legislation.
The bill was introduced in July by Council member Mary Chen of Ward 3, who chairs the Committee on Environment.
“Fighting climate change is, I believe, the greatest moral challenge of our time,” said Chen, adding that D.C. can act as a model for other cities.
If the legislation is implemented, there will be tighter regulations on energy standards for new and existing building,s since three-quarters of carbon emissions in D.C. are due to power use in buildings. The bill will also seek to decrease emissions from vehicles while encouraging people to use cleaner cars. Exempting electric cars, the excise taxes for vehicles will be linked with their efficiency in the new bill.
According to the U.N. climate change report, the coming decades will witness tens of millions affected by rising sea levels and hundreds of millions will be affected by severe droughts. The report also predicts the disappearance of about 90 percent of coral reefs.