Top public officials and experts on building sustainable cities

By Washington Post Live

Cities around the globe are investing in new sustainable initiatives to reap the economic and environmental benefits for their communities. Join Washington Post Live for a series of conversations with White House Council on Environmental Quality chair Brenda Mallory and Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D) about building greener cities and addressing historical environmental inequities. BlocPower CEO Donnel Baird, Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture’s Erica Cochran Hameen and New Urban Mobility Alliance director Harriet Tregoning will also discuss the role of buildings in designing more sustainable cities.

Highlights

“Climate change and sustainability, it’s a bipartisan issue … People understand, both sides of the aisle and no matter where they come from, that this is something that we need to move toward. And a lot of it has to do with messaging. You have to show the advantages of what it’s like to stop what you’re used to doing and do something differently that is going to benefit, not just you, but the whole state, nation and the globe.” “Maryland, first off, is the backyard to nation’s capital. So, the Biden-Harris Administration has been super supportive of us. And we’re going to take every advantage we can of the Inflation Reduction Act to be able to get funding to bring it to Maryland … Maryland offers a lot. We are like a microcosm of the entire nation.”- Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D)

“Sometimes when people think energy efficiency, the first thing that comes to their minds is ‘I’m going to put solar panels on my house.’ But for me, one of the things I think about is equity first. The people who are in the most need of energy efficiency, in particular, are African Americans, Hispanic Americans and American Indians. We just tend to pay significantly more of our income trying to heat and cool our homes … If we want to talk about sustainability, the people who are going to be most impacted are going to be people who are lower income people. Those are the people who really need it most.” “Sometimes when people think energy efficiency, the first thing that comes to their minds is ‘I’m going to put solar panels on my house.’ But for me, one of the things I think about is equity first. The people who are in the most need of energy efficiency, in particular, are African Americans, Hispanic Americans and American Indians. We just tend to pay significantly more of our income trying to heat and cool our homes … If we want to talk about sustainability, the people who are going to be most impacted are going to be people who are lower income people. Those are the people who really need it most.” – Erica Cochran Hameen

“There’s a massive shortage of skilled construction workers and construction firms across America and Europe. For all of us to implement the kind of massive interventions in the built environment to reduce emissions, we must make it cool and sexy and interesting and lucrative for young your people to re-enter the trades.” – Donnel Baird

“I’m exceedingly optimistic, but with caution. Because this administration has put a lot of money on the table, it could absolutely be used to just lock us into what we’re already doing. I think it’s up to us … to really try to intervene to make sure that this money gets spent to address equity. To address climate change and to really make people’s lives better. And that’s the opportunity that’s out there. I’m hopeful, but I’m not complacent.” – Harriet Tregoning 

“The Inflation Reduction Act in particular has provisions that really create a higher tax credit for companies and entities that actually invest in disadvantaged communities.” “We created a White House interagency council which is senior leadership all across the federal government that is focused on making sure that we are addressing environmental justice in each of the agencies.” – Brenda Mallory, Chair, White House Council on Environment Quality