Save the DSM Sustainability Office

Loading....

Friday, January 10th - the Iowa Environmental Council has learned that the City of Des Moines’ Office of Sustainability is under threat of elimination even as climate change endangers our city. The city government has eliminated staff positions and is on the path to closing the office altogether. We must act now to ensure a resilient future for our city. It’s not too late for us to demand stronger climate leadership from our city government. Des Moines residents have consistently demanded progress on climate action and a greener city, not the closure of the office tasked with making that happen. Join us at the Jan. 13 city council meeting to let our elected officials know that it is time to invest more, not less, in a sustainable and resilient future for Des Moines.

We need just a few pieces of information to submit your comments to the Des Moines City Manager and City Council:

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Address, line 1*

City*

State*

Zip Code*

I'd like to receive updates from this organization

SUBMIT

Iowa Environmental Council
ORG ADDRESS LINE 1 ORG ADDRESS LINE 2
ORG CITY, ORG STATE ORG ZIP
iecmail@iaenvironment.org

DSM City Council and Manager

Subject: Save the Sustainability Office

Message:

To Mayor Connie Boesen, City Manager Scott Sanders, and the Des Moines City Council I am writing today to encourage the City to not abandon its commitment to sustainability and climate resilience and restore the Office of Sustainability. Climate and sustainability leadership at the local level is critical to making our city an attractive place to live, work, and raise a family. The investments secured by the Office of Sustainability make Des Moines a safer, cleaner, and healthier place to live, which is crucial to attracting new workers, jobs, and residents. Des Moines has a legacy of climate leadership, with former Mayor Frank Cownie committing the city to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017. Des Moines should embrace climate leadership, not abandon it. While representing only 0.03% of the total city budget, the Office of Sustainability has already assisted in attracting nearly $4 million in grant funds for vital community investments, including lowering energy bills, expanding tree planting, improving stormwater management, and educating our city’s most vulnerable residents about the dangers of extreme heat. The office also has more than $20 million in pending applications for critical community investments, including weatherization and energy efficiency improvements for low-income homeowners, expanding bike lanes, installing electric vehicle charging stations and reducing pollution. Climate change is already impacting Des Moines. In 2024, we saw one of our city’s earliest, longest, and most intense heat waves ever; the rivers winding through our city swelled out of their banks due to extreme rainfall; and increasingly intense storms brought a tornado to downtown. In 2020, a derecho destroyed tree canopy and brought destruction to the city, and in 2008 flash flooding cost lives and caused significant property damage. These impacts threaten our neighborhoods and livelihoods, and the Office of Sustainability is crucial to ensuring our city is prepared for them. As a resident of this city concerned for our future, I encourage you to restore the Office of Sustainability and reprioritize sustainability and climate action in Des Moines. Thank you,

Characters remaining:

ORGANIZATION NAME
ORG ADDRESS LINE 1 ORG ADDRESS LINE 2
ORG CITY, ORG STATE ORG ZIP
ORG CONTACT PHONE
ORG CONTACT EMAIL

Checkout

Sorry, you're not eligible to take this action. But you can still help!