Climate and Environment

So far, Richmond has completed 12% of our RVAgreen 2050 goals. We still need to achieve objectives within the 2022-2025 timeline and plan for the 2026-2030 timeline that spans across Planning & Development Review, operations, finance, capital improvements, and policy.

If we don’t act and fund these initiatives, we will fall behind our goal to reduce 45% of emissions by 2030 and leave under-resourced communities even more vulnerable.

The climate crisis will exacerbate social inequities from redlining, urban renewal, industrial zoning, and chronic disinvestment. It is not separate from the social determinants of health that determine a person's quality of life or life expectancy – housing, health care, education, environment, and economic security.

The good news is that the plan clearly outlines steps to meet our goal, whether it’s a policy, personnel, or funding requirement. As mayor, I am committed to funding RVAgreen 2050 to achieve these goals.

Decades of harmful land use and housing policies from redlining, urban renewal, and annexation negatively impact the environment and character of neighborhoods in Richmond. This looks like a disproportionate number of Black and Latino residents living next to industrial-zoned areas, highway traffic, very few full-service grocery stores, minimal green spaces, and missing sidewalks.

The lasting effects of these discriminatory policies have led to higher rates of chronic illnesses, such as asthma and diabetes, and a shorter life expectancy for predominantly Black, Brown, and lower-income residents in the East End and Southside.

Our environmental justice framework as a city must center on the health and livelihood of our residents — the ability to work, receive care, have safe housing, get around, and access a quality education — at every stage of life. I support greenlining neighborhoods – the intentional practice of increasing investments in neighborhoods impacted by redlining and other environmental harm to expand economic opportunities.

Climate justice requires that we plan, build, and mitigate risks to transition to a healthier future so everyone can bounce back from climate events. Climate justice is also intrinsically linked to environmental justice in disrupting generational poverty and addressing the root causes of structural barriers. Our actions affect the ability of residents to live, work, study, play, and grow in healthy, resilient, and thriving environments. I am committed to ensuring that frontline communities identified in the Climate Equity Index will be at the front of the line for funding and resources.

Right now, a quarter of low-income households have an energy burden above 16%. As we’ve seen with other historic patterns regarding housing policies – primarily redlining, urban renewal, and racial covenants – Black (28%) and Latino households (24%) have higher utility bills. building resilience hubs, and divesting from natural gas – all objectives outlined in RVAgreen 2050.

Additionally, energy expenditures for the City of Richmond exceed $25 million per year. Becoming more energy efficient will have incredible cost savings for the city, businesses, and residents. Energy management for operations, vehicles, buildings, and planning is key for Richmond being a climate leader in the state.

Oversight of public utilities: I created the Public Utilities and Services Commission to promote greater transparency and accountability regarding our utilities. Part of the Commission’s role is to make recommendations and guide the mayor and City Council about DPU operations, service changes, fiscal responsibility, and transitioning Richmond from natural gas.
Stop subsidizing new gas connections for county residents: Richmonders should not subsidize new gas hookups for developers and county residents. Nearly 90% of the 8th and 9th districts are above the average energy burden. Those dollars can be redirected towards critical home repairs, weatherization, and energy efficiency programs for residents.
Green city-owned facilities: Richmond must incorporate more renewable energy and energy-efficient options to deprioritize natural gas as we build new facilities, upgrade existing systems, and replace end-of-life fossil fuel equipment. This includes prioritizing converting public buildings like community centers, libraries, and schools into resilience hubs. We also need smart infrastructure for LED conversion of pedestrian and outdoor lighting.

Support Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI): Richmond received $1.2 million from the Community Flood Preparedness Fund to improve stormwater infrastructure, support capacity for planning, and provide greater flood protection. I will continue championing RGGI’s success as the program provided $250 million in its first two years to make low-income housing more energy-efficient in Virginia.
Expand energy-efficient housing and weatherization: City Hall will strengthen its partnerships with organizations like project:HOMES, Viridiant, and the Community Climate Collaborative to conduct free energy audits, weatherize homes, and map the greatest energy burdens across the city. My administration also sees critical home repairs as a priority to be completed by union labor and local apprentices through my newly proposed Southside Workforce Development Center.

Richmond’s greatest heat islands are in neighborhoods impacted by redlining and industrial zoning, often next to major roads and highways. These areas have more impervious surfaces than vegetation, with housing that has limited or no air conditioning. Research shows Black Richmonders disproportionately experience heat-related illnesses due to a lack of shade from trees and bus shelters, few cooling centers, or simply from being outside longer from work or unhoused.

Additionally, a warming climate is responsible for an increased intensity of rain events, where heavier rainfalls in a short amount of time causes flash flooding.

Planting trees, cultivating gardens, and designing streets with rain gardens and vegetation is a proven way to help reduce stormwater runoff, cool neighborhoods and save lives. Plus, community gardens produce fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs for residents to eat.

As mayor, I will work with to ensure all residents live within a two-mile or 10-minute walk to a well-maintained public green space – whether it’s a public park, playground, school campus, community garden, street trees, or green street. And I’ll work with relevant departments to incentivize homeowners and landlords to incorporate more green roofs, gardens, plants, and trees on private property which can lower energy and stormwater bills.

Work with builders to preserve existing canopy cover in the planning and review process to maintain mature trees for the full ecological services and economic benefits. Well-placed trees can reduce residential heating and cooling costs by up to 30%, reducing the energy burden on our residents.
Build Complete Streets with broad sidewalks to accommodate tree wells and green streets.
Create transparent budget around urban forestry and public works projects to track progress, plantings, and personnel dedicated to tree plantings, maintenance, and up to three years of watering for newly planted trees.
Enhance representation on the Urban Forestry Commission for Southside residents and Black and Brown community leaders. I’d like to supplement that effort by appointing members in my role as mayor to achieve equity on these commissions, elevate the importance of their work in communications, and work closely with non-voting members of those commissions – directors and staff from DPW, Urban Forestry Division, and OOS.
Plant trees along bus routes and walking paths and address inadequate walkways or no sidewalks for a safer and more pleasant commute.
Green community centers and libraries to beautify facilities, provide shade, minimize flooding, and improve air quality. Greenery also improves the value of public spaces

Too many decisions we make as a city are done in silos, especially with how we build in Richmond. We need to plan how we grow over the next five, 10, and 20 years and lead with sustainability in our decision-making processes at City Hall.

Move the Office of Sustainability to the mayor’s cabinet because of their work across all departments. I helped establish the Office of Sustainability (OOS) and strengthened the office with additional funding to make the office permanent with dedicated staff. OOS now has a team of eight talented individuals advancing climate justice in Richmond. From start to finish, we need to ensure sustainability is part of the culture and decision-making processes at City Hall, such as developing green building standards for new city-owned facilities, electrifying our fleet, adding EV charging stations, reducing waste, and transitioning to energy-efficient operations.
Be accountable and respect the community’s vision by not allowing RVAgreen 2050 to sit on a shelf and collect dust. The Office of Sustainability implemented a progress tracker TRAC-E (Tracking Realtime Action on Climate Equity) to build transparency and highlight which sections of the plan have not been completed.
Commit to 100% adherence to the Sustainable Design Standards which will drive sustainability improvements like water conservation, transportation connectivity, and renewable energy in infrastructure and construction projects.
Transition temporary contractors to full-time staff so we can build on national wins and have continuity in climate action work in City Hall.

As a city, we need to expand recycling and composting options to reduce waste, especially for greater access to residents in multi-family housing. For years, the Clean City Commission (CCC) has advocated for expanding our recycling program, specifically by offering more recycling in multi-family housing, businesses, and offices.

On Council, I voted to remove single-use plastics in the City. It was a symbolic gesture because the rules had yet to be changed at the state level, but I still believe in removing the use of plastic bags and styrofoam containers on the original timeline proposed by Del. Betsy Carr.

As mayor, I support hiring a full-time Recycling and Compost Program Manager within the Department of Public Works to oversee that process and fulfill a key objective in RVAgreen 2050. Additionally, the CCC can do more with funding to develop a robust waste management plan that minimizes sources of pollution in Richmond. This education is also necessary for residents, as waste pollutes our main source of drinking water.

City Hall can provide incentives and work with restaurants on landfill diversion, waste recovery, upcycling, and recycling.

One of my top funding priorities will be repurposing city-owned assets to create a new Workforce Development Center in Southside with union-led training and apprenticeship programs for RPS students and others looking to gain new skills. Our energy-efficient future as a city will require experienced electricians, welders, foresters, and solar installation professionals. Apprentices can gain training hours by weatherizing homes and providing critical home repairs, which are important for reducing energy bills.

Richmond’s climate workforce includes all of us – essential workers, unions, trades, emergency managers, health care and social workers – to contribute the physical, environmental, economic, and social elements that build a climate-resilient city.