Staff report
Green Umbrella will host a Climate Action Showcase at 3:30 p.m. August 12 at the University of Cincinnati’s Digital Futures Building for the participants in this year’s Climate Action Fellowship.
The participating communities are:
• Anderson Township, Ohio
• City of Cincinnati, Ohio
• City of Covington
• Hamilton County, Ohio
• Village of Mariemont, Ohio
• City of Oxford, Ohio
Leaders from each community, together with their Climate Fellows, will discuss how they started or furthered their climate action planning process and projects. Following the showcase, there will be a Green Drinks networking happy hour at Somerset Bar in OTR from 5:15-7:15 p.m. for connecting with the Climate Fellows, their supervisors, and climate advocates. Both the showcase and Green Drinks are free and open to the public.
“The program gives communities the capacity to advance projects that may have once seemed out of reach, or may not have happened for another 5-10 years,” said Jamiya Barnett, Green Umbrella’s Local government program manager. “At the same time, Fellows gain firsthand experience working alongside local governments and institutions, contributing to meaningful projects that align with their goals.”
Currently only three local governments in the region have a sustainability plan. Having a sustainability plan in place to both prevent damage from and respond to climate disasters — like the recent flooding in Cincinnati — is important, but local governments often struggle with training, resources, and capacity. That’s why the Climate Action Fellowship is so significant for communities in our region: it pairs undergraduate and graduate students, and individuals who want to pivot careers, with local governments to develop practical plans and solutions for a changing climate.
“Given the accelerating impacts of climate change in the Midwest, proactive climate action is critical to long-term community resilience and fiscal health,” said Maggie Volkering, public works business analyst for the City of Covington, who served as one of the city’s Climate Action Fellowship supervisors over the summer.
“Participating in this program ensures Covington stays ahead of environmental challenges while serving as a regional leader in building a thriving, sustainable community.”