BIDDEFORD — The Biddeford City Council has passed a resolution to adopt the ‘Race to Zero’ climate pledge. The Race to Zero campaign is an initiative of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability — to rally local leadership on climate action in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The U.S. rejoined the Paris Agreement by executive order of President Joe Biden on Feb. 19, 2021. The country had joined the agreement under President Barack Obama and exited from it under President Donald Trump.
By approving the Race to Zero pledge at their Dec. 6 meeting, the City of Biddeford set a community-wide goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, with an interim target to reduce emissions by 62.6 percent by 2030, said Biddeford spokeswoman Danica Lamontagne in a news release. Additionally, the pledge formalizes Biddeford’s intent to adopt a Climate Action Plan and to undertake at least one high-impact climate action during 2023.
Biddeford is the first municipality in the state of Maine to join the Race to Zero pledge, city officials say.
“As a community, we are all in this together and together as a community we can change the future,” said Steve Reiter, Chair of the Biddeford Climate Task Force. “The time to do that is now.”
Biddeford City Council President Norman Belanger noted that adopting meaningful climate goals under the Race to Zero initiative helps move the climate action plan process forward. “Hopefully, the next generation will benefit from the work we are doing now,” Belanger said.
Tom Herrod, senior program officer at ICLEI, applauded Biddeford’s passage of the Race to Zero pledge, according to the news release.
“Biddeford’s commitment to the Cities Race to Zero punctuates a year of action in the community. From establishing a baseline of emissions to setting a Science Based Target, this commitment sets the stage for Biddeford to model actions and strategies that will lead to hitting their climate targets and contributing to the necessary emissions reductions needed to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius,” Herrod said. “Biddeford’s leadership is a model for Maine communities and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA is excited to continue its partnership with Biddeford into the future.”
The adoption of the Race to Zero pledge furthers the ongoing work of Biddeford’s Climate Task Force, an ad-hoc committee established by Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant in December 2020. The Climate Task Force is developing a climate action plan to identify strategies and actions intended to achieve the newly adopted emissions reduction targets, with expected completion in September.
“Climate change is affecting all of us, and each year seems to bring more negative impacts in our area,” said Casavant. “It is critical that we all work together do what we can to limit its impacts. I am proud that Biddeford has been a leader in Maine by adopting the Race to Zero pledge, and that the Biddeford Climate Task Force is working hard to develop strategies for concrete climate action in our community.”
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
