Nickolas J. Schaul,
Finance Director
During the hottest year ever recorded worldwide, the Des Moines City Council is poised to make a major commitment to combat climate change after ADAPT DSM was presented to City Council this morning.
The Des Moines City Council will consider approving ADAPT DSM as the city’s new climate action and adaptation plan at one if its upcoming meetings. If adopted, the plan will implement specific actions to meet emissions and clean energy goals adopted unanimously by City Council in early 2021. ADAPT DSM creates a game plan for the next 25 years to help Des Moines reach its target of net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2050 – a goal that was set by City Council unanimously in January 2021.
"Ultimately, the fight against climate change will be won on the local level, and this plan is crucial to building a more sustainable future for Des Moines,” Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie said. “From the flash floods of 2018 to the derecho of 2020, we’ve seen the increasingly erratic weather and how prolonged climate change impacts can increase the severity of damage caused right here in our City. This plan provides a roadmap for Des Moines to combat climate pollution and prepare Des Moines to withstand the challenges climate change will bring."
The framework of ADAPT DSM used scientific modeling, expert guidance, and public input to identify and prioritize specific goals and milestones that will enable the City to accelerate progress towards net-zero emissions by the year 2050. The plan lists over 100 actions to help reach those goals over the next 27 years. In the short term, the plan highlights 35 priority actions to accomplish by 2035 to keep ADAPT DSM on track towards its climate change goals.
“These 35 actions represent our immediate areas of focus to begin the process of reducing our carbon emissions and addressing climate change,” Sustainability Program Manager Jeremy Caron said. “These high-impact priorities were selected because they are realistic measures we can take to make a real difference in reducing Des Moines’ carbon emissions and increasing our resilience to the impacts of climate change that are inevitable.”
The 35 priority actions are categorized into key sectors of contribution to the City’s climate goals:
The ADAPT DSM Plan was constructed over the past year with a series of public engagement events that generated over 400 survey responses and included participation of over 700 members of the community who helped form the goals, solutions and actions contained in ADAPT DSM.
“Community involvement is a key part of this plan,” Caron said. “The City of Des Moines is not going to solve climate change without coordinated efforts from our community partners, residents, and businesses rising to the challenge of fighting climate change.”
ADAPT DSM reflects the collective effort that climate action will take by encouraging community engagement, participation, and collaboration to drive the implementation of sustainable practices and policies. The plan emphasizes incentives for participation and progress, as well as equity in its actions and solutions, ensuring that the benefits of climate action are accessible to all residents, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status.
The plan will continue and shape existing city efforts to build environmentally friendly buildings, electrify the fleet of city vehicles, build out stormwater infrastructure and increase tree planting to grow the urban canopy.
“The launch of ADAPT DSM signifies Des Moines' dedication to remaining a leader in sustainability and climate resilience,” Cownie said. “By taking decisive action today, we’re generating a brighter and more sustainable tomorrow for everyone.”
