Gaithersburg Affirms Commitment to Paris Climate Accord Principles

GAITHERSBURG, MD - From the desk of the City of Gaithersburg: On behalf of the City Council and the residents of Gaithersburg, Mayor Jud Ashman added his signature to two open letters that affirm support for the goals and commitments associated with the Paris Climate Accord and call upon President Donald Trump, his administration and members of Congress to support the principles of the Accord.

In signing the letters, the Mayor and City Council acknowledged that local municipalities must be vocal in demanding that the federal government continue to provide federal level support for sustainability initiatives. “I am proud to join leaders of state and local governments, educational institutions and businesses in a call for continued action and advocacy to reduce our impact on this planet,” said Mayor Ashman. “While it may seem that what we can do in Gaithersburg is small by comparison, I have no doubt that our efforts, combined with those other communities and organizations around the globe, will make a huge difference. We owe it to future generations to do all that we can.”

Mayor Ashman signed an open letter from the World Wildlife Fund to the international community and parties to the Paris Agreement. The letter, “We Are Still In,” affirms the pursuit of ambitious climate goals and pledges collaborative, forceful action to “ensure that the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing emissions.” The complete letter and list of signatories can be found at wearestillin.com.

Mayor Ashman also signed a Climate Change Action letter through the National League of Cities, an organization that represents 1,600 cities of all sizes throughout the U.S. The letter affirms a commitment to preserving environmental goals at the local level, and calls upon the administration and Congress to embrace the principles of the Paris Climate Accord, to invest in clean energy and infrastructure improvements, and to encourage investment in renewable energy and clean technology through tax credits. The letter and list of signatories can be found at nlc.org/Cities4Climate.

In September of 2016, the Gaithersburg City Council adopted resolutions to reduce both electricity and transportation petroleum consumption. Using baseline data as of the end of 2016, reduction plans are being developed with the goal of reducing energy consumption at City-owned buildings by 15% and transportation petroleum consumption in the City-owned fleet by 20% within five years.

The City has also made a commitment to track and report municipal emissions on an annual basis. Other initiatives include green building requirements, increasing the availability of electric vehicle infrastructure, a comprehensive stormwater management program, a pesticide reduction program, and many more. A complete list can be found under “Environmental Services” on the City’s website at gaithersburgmd.gov.

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