Eau Claire City Council To Consider Supporting Paris Climate Agreement

The Eau Claire City Council will vote this week on whether to support the Paris climate agreement. While the move is largely symbolic, the resolution includes specific goals for the city to reduce its carbon footprint.

Cities can’t officially sign on to the Paris agreement, but many have shown support for it, which President Donald Trump pulled out of earlier this month.

In Eau Claire, two city council members are introducing a resolution to signal the city’s support for the Paris deal. Councilwoman Kate Beaton said it’s partially a show of support for the global effort to combat climate change.

“Now more than ever we need to kind of be standing as a society with the environment, and while we’re not seeing that on the national level, I think this is a really good opportunity for the city of Eau Claire to stand in solidarity with the environment,” Beaton said.

But along with the gesture, she said it also directs the city to commit to specific clean energy goals.

“I think that this resolution really incorporates some real change items to actually chip away at those carbon emissions that do contribute to climate change,” Beaton said.

The resolution contains three items that would require the city to invest in clean energy infrastructure wherever possible, re-evaluate it’s clean energy goals, and work with public and private sectors to create a longterm plan to reduce carbon emissions.

The council will consider the resolution during it’s Tuesday meeting. Beaton said she’s unsure how other city council members will vote on the measure, but she’s hopeful it will pass.