 Pima County seeks community’s input
on climate plan
PIMA COUNTY, March 21, 2025 – Pima County and its coalition partners are seeking input from the community as they work to strengthen a comprehensive plan for dealing with climate change.
Toward that goal, the County is holding a series of public sessions during April, May, and June, each of which will be dedicated to focusing on reduction measures for greenhouse gas emissions from seven different sectors.
“These sessions will be a valuable opportunity to connect with the community and learn what their priorities are,” said Natalie Shepp, environmental quality manager at the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ).
All of the sessions are free and open to the public. To register for any of them, visit www.pima.gov/ClimatePlan.
In 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded PDEQ a $1 million, four-year Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. The grant aims to help government entities develop and implement plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.
PDEQ previously distributed two community surveys about climate change and emissions reduction, which drew more than 2,000 responses.
Working with local partners such as the City of Tucson, the City of South Tucson, the Town of Oro Valley and the Tohono O’odham Nation, the County completed a Priority Climate Action Plan in February 2024.
The County is now working on a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, due to the EPA in December 2025.
“The information we gain from these sessions will help us craft a truly effective Climate Plan, one that will help us reduce emissions and build a resilient and just community,” Shepp said.
The full schedule of sessions is:
- Date: Thursday, April 3, 10 a.m. to noon. - Register here.
- Topic: Electric utilities - Electricity production and distribution generated from various technologies that burn fossil fuels.
- Date: Tuesday, April 8, 4-6 p.m. Ellie Towne Community Center MPR 3, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road.
- Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2-4 p.m. - Register here.
- Topic: Commercial and residential buildings - Onsite burning of fossil fuels at homes and businesses and indirect emissions from the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity that buildings use.
- Date: Tuesday, April 15, 2-4 p.m. Public Works Building, 201 N. Stone Ave., Basement Conference Room C.
- Date: Thursday, April 17, 6-8 p.m. - Register here.
- Topic: Transportation - Moving people and goods on land and air, including on-road, non-road (such as construction and mining equipment), locomotive, and aircraft.
- Date: Tuesday, April 22, 10 a.m.-noon. Woods Library, 3455 N. 1st Ave.
- Date: Thursday, April 24, 2-4 p.m. - Register here.
- Topic: Waste and materials management - Landfills and wastewater treatment facilities and the production, transportation, and consumption of consumer products.
- Date: Tuesday, May 6, 10 a.m.-noon. - Register here.
- Topic: Industry - Burning of fossil fuels to make goods and materials and from use of greenhouse gas in products or equipment, such as certain refrigerants.
- Date: Tuesday, June 3, 10 a.m.-noon. Valencia Library, 202 W. Valencia Road.
- Date: Thursday, June 5, 2-4 p.m. - Register here.
- Topic: Natural and working lands - This sector can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and includes land-use changes to promote plant growth and save water, as well as from forests.
- Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2-4 p.m. - Register here.
- Topic: Agriculture - Crop and livestock production, including the application of fertilizer to soils.
|
