A panel of Utah elected leaders and government officials at the United Nations Civil Society Conference on Monday urged attendees from across the globe to follow their lead in pursuing aggressive policies to stem climate change.
While they offered tips on how to leverage local partnerships to increase renewable energy offerings and ways to reduce transportation emissions, panelists also outlined opportunities around a less-considered area for sustainability efforts: food production.
When Salt Lake City formed its sustainability office in 2008, “we started focusing on traditional environmental issues like environmental compliance,” calculating municipal and community carbon footprints and working “on traditional waste and recycling programs,” recounted Debbie Lyons, the department’s program director.