GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids is moving forward with the first portion of its climate plan despite fears from business leaders that it could stifle new developments and add costly mandates for businesses.
The Grand Rapids City Commission voted Tuesday, Aug. 12 to approve the first 20 priorities of the city’s Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP), a broad “roadmap” outlining the city’s efforts to tackle climate change over the next three decades.
The goal of the CAAP is to reduce 100% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To get there, the plan proposes a series of voluntary and incentive-based actions, like advocating for stricter building energy codes, incentivizing property owners and developers to improve energy efficiency of homes, and developing city incentives for employees who use public buses, bikes or carpooling to get to work…