The city of Wichita has drafted its first climate action plan, a document that lays out targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as other environmental objectives.
The plan’s goal is for residents, local government and businesses to “mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.” Wichita aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions across the community in half by 2035, according to the draft. That’s compared to the city’s 2021 baseline of greenhouse gas emissions, which the city inventoried last spring for the first time.
“It gives us a much better plan for the future,” said Lizeth Ortega, the city’s senior environmental specialist. “Additionally, I think it highlights the need for something like this, and the burden that the community bears if we don't do something about sustainability issues.”
Extreme heat, severe storms and drought are some of the most frequent climate risks Wichita faces, according to the draft plan.
The emissions the report refers to are greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or methane, which contribute to warming in the Earth’s atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels – like gas or coal – for things like transportation, electricity or heat can emit these gases.
The plan lays out potential actions and policies the city can take to achieve its reduction target. But much of the emissions reduction is projected to come from the state’s electrical grid shifting away from fossil fuels like coal toward renewable energy like wind, said Ethan Kershaw, the city’s sustainability coordinator.
“Thanks to advances in the electrical grid, there's going to be a lot of opportunities for reduction,” Kershaw said. “Our electrical grid is just getting cleaner.”
The climate action plan was created in collaboration with city departments and the Sustainability Integration Board, a city board made up of community members created in 2021. Environmental advocates called for the board’s creation so that the city could begin to address climate change.
The plan identifies five areas on which to focus the city’s sustainability work: buildings and homes; energy supply and distribution; transportation and land use; natural resources (green spaces and water) as well as waste management and reduction.
City staff are currently working to collect input on the draft plan from District Advisory Boards, city boards and a community-wide survey. Kershaw said the feedback process is likely to take months before the plan ultimately goes to the City Council.
The climate action plan is not currently accompanied by any funding mechanisms, Ortega added. She said much of the plan would likely be implemented using grants.
And having a climate action plan improves the city’s likelihood of receiving grants to undertake environmental projects, Kershaw said.
Climate goals and how to meet them
In addition to the community-wide emissions reductions target, the plan lays out city-specific goals. That includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions that come from city operations – apart from its landfill – by 50% by 2030, compared to the 2021 baseline.
The city already buys about 95% of its electricity from a wind farm in Oklahoma.
But reducing community-wide and government greenhouse gas emissions may require more steps. The climate action plan lays out a plethora of potential goals, actions and policies the city could take to reduce emissions, including:
- Adding energy efficiency aspects into the local building code
- Identifying city-owned property appropriate for solar energy
- Beginning a green business recognition program
- Pursuing grant funding for public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles
- Increasing the number of protected bicycle lanes
- Increasing the number of electric buses in service and increase route frequency.
Kershaw said the city has already taken some conservation steps, especially around energy efficiency. Wichita received a $381,670 federal energy efficiency grant in August, which will be used to conduct energy assessments on stormwater pumps, upgrade energy efficiency at the Wichita Animal Shelter and weatherize homes for some low-income residents.
The climate action plan also suggests the city set a goal to increase its overall tree canopy coverage from 23% to 25% in the next 15 years. Kershaw said the focus on trees was inspired by community feedback. In December, the city passed a policy that prioritizes tree planting in several census tracts that have been identified as higher risk for extreme heat.
“A lot of people in the community are concerned about our tree canopy and making sure that we're replacing trees as they're dying,” Kershaw said.
The city is currently not planting new trees due to the drought.
The plan also lays out some potential strategies for the city to become more resilient to climate-related risks, like drought. It suggests reducing water consumption at the city and working with large water users to develop ways to reuse water or reduce consumption.
Sustainability board reactions
Wichita’s Sustainability Integration Board advised city staff on its priorities and goals for the climate action plan.
Russell Arben Fox is a member of the board, as well as a professor of political science at Friends University. He said the draft plan’s target of reducing community-wide emissions by half by 2035 is a “reach” goal.
“I don't think anybody on the SIB (Sustainability Integration Board) is looking at this plan and thinking to themselves, ‘You know, oh, every single element of this plan is politically and economically and culturally achievable,’” Fox said.
“I think most of us recognize that there's going to be a lot of difficult work that goes into all of this.”
Still, Fox said, it’s worth pushing Wichita to get started preparing for and mitigating climate change.
“I love this city. And I want it to be able to endure – as droughts become more common and harsher, as weather becomes even less predictable and even harsher, as temperatures go up,” Fox said.
James Williams is another member of the board, as well as public affairs manager for Black Hills Energy in Kansas, a natural gas utility company.
Williams said he appreciates the draft plan’s focus on energy efficiency, which could save businesses and homeowners money. Still, Williams said some portions may be costly for the city to undertake.
“We're going to have to realistically look at the cost of some of these goals, and what does that really mean,” Williams said. “I don't see a lot of financial notes on the goals and what that means. And these things all cost money.”
