Three proposals for Pensacola to begin addressing climate change are on hold as the mayor plans to hold a workshop in May to develope a strategic plan.
Three proposals for Pensacola to begin addressing climate change are on hold as Mayor Grover Robinson plans to hold a workshop with the City Council in May to start developing a strategic plan for the city's future based on the mayor's transition report.
Pensacola City Councilwoman Sherri Myers had proposed three measures for the council to adopt Thursday, but she pulled the items during the meeting, citing the upcoming workshop on May 9.
The proposals, which were suggested by the city's Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Task Force, recommended that the city create a new office of sustainability, conduct a greenhouse gas emission study and have the city join the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives — Local Governments for Sustainability.
Robinson's transition report had also recommended conducting a greenhouse gas inventory and having the city pursue aggressive goals to switch to renewable energy sources.
Myers said she wanted to talk further with the mayor and have his support for her proposals.
"Everything we do has implications for the mayor's office because the mayor's office has to implement it," Myers said.
Robinson said he supported Myer's ideas in concept but added there may be an opportunity to partner with Escambia County to create a new position dedicated to sustainability.
He added that it would be more efficient to wait until the strategic plan workshop scheduled in May and then vote on Myer's proposal as early as June.
"If we can take a lot of those items and wait until we sit down as a group and take those items together, I think it will really allow us to plan as we move forward," Robinson said.
A few students and activists with the group 350 Pensacola, the local chapter of environmental group 350.org, attended the meeting and asked the city to act now on climate change.
"I'm asking for the City Council to make climate change one of the priorities because we don't have time," said Jeh Zhang, a student at Pensacola High School. "Every month that we waste not doing something about climate change is another month that we waste not reducing emissions."