DC’s 2025 budget is an opportunity to show up for climate. Don’t lose it.

There is a graphic that’s ubiquitous at talks on climate change mitigation or adaptation. This single-panel cartoon depicts a speaker sharing a list of possible outcomes of climate action, including livable cities, green jobs, healthy children, and so on. An aggrieved audience member has just one question: “What if it’s a big hoax and we create a better world for nothing?”

This cartoon presents lots of reasons for climate action. We could have a whole host of really nice things in cities and society if we could push through the persisting inertia against climate action. To me, it underscores that urbanists and climate activists have a common cause. I’m not suggesting a false dichotomy between urbanists and climate activists; more than three quarters of DC residents say they’re worried about climate change, so this is clearly the norm.

But those who are used to advocating for urbanism-related matters and those who are used to advocating for climate-related matters aren’t always the same group. Times like the current budget season give us reason to work together.

We committed, as a city, to lead

Nationally and even internationally, DC has positioned itself as a leader in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Last December, Mayor Bowser went to COP28 to announce the administration’s updated Carbon Free DC plan: a newsworthy venue to draw attention to DC’s climate priorities. Without naming it “urbanism,” Carbon Free DC proposes explicitly to improve walkability, transit access, bike infrastructure, and more – because these improvements would reduce CO2 emissions.

This kind of public presentation suggested a commitment to climate goals via actions that would improve DC’s livability. The problem is that, now that she has laid out these priorities very publicly, Mayor Bowser and her administration are taking action to dismantle policies and programs that would address these priorities. Urbanists, climate activists, and anyone concerned about these matters need to advocate for the Mayor and DC Council to stay the course on progressive climate action as a path toward the future to which we committed (and re-committed just a few months ago).

While climate or environmental efforts, historically, may not have converged with urbanism priorities, modern policy plans like DC’s recognize the interrelated nature of transit, land use, housing, and climate-harming emissions. Tackling the things that cause emissions would also contribute to helping people live good lives in DC. It is truly praiseworthy that Carbon Free DC proposes things like: “reduce barriers to allowing denser, more efficient buildings, particularly near transit and commercial corridors;” “Create housing options near high-capacity transit corridors that serve a range of household sizes and incomes, including affordable options to rent and own;” “Encourage and incentivize transit-oriented development.”

Building blocks

The Bowser administration’s aspirational goals are good. What is wrong is that the administration is giving really mixed signals on their willingness to make them a reality. For instance, the Mayor’s proposed FY2025 budget would significantly delay action on increasing the energy efficiency of buildings in the District, a crucial factor in emissions. Just as she did last year, Mayor Bowser has proposed to slow the implementation of the Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) program, which was created in 2018. (Read more about the proposed budget maneuvers, and how they would impact many, many other of the District’s environmental commitments, in this useful Washington City Paper piece.)

Improving energy efficiency in buildings is not a small detail: it is essential for reducing emissions, and it also contributes to the quality of life in the urban environment. For instance, energy-efficient buildings cost residents less to heat or cool and can be particularly important in communities that have been marginalized, where people tend to spend a higher percentage of their household incomes on energy costs. Increased energy efficiency standards would be an investment in the long-term resilience of the District’s built environment.

In a positive sign, in its budget review, the DC Council Committee on Transportation and Environment recommended retaining much of the funding for climate-related programs which the Mayor’s budget proposed to cut. The final budget vote, scheduled for June 11, will clarify the District’s priorities.

Transportation talks

On the transportation front, it was well publicized that, in an affront to people who travel car-free, DDOT intends to move forward with plans for Connecticut Avenue NW that do not include a bike lane. This is in spite of previous statements from Mayor Bowser that this bike lane would be a key effort in making the city safer and less reliant on cars. People in the urbanism and cycling advocacy communities have expressed surprise and outrage that Mayor Bowser would countenance the scaling back of planned bike infrastructure projects. At first DC Council pushed back, with the Committee on Transportation and the Environment led by Councilmember Charles Allen using its budget markup to recommend adding the bike lane back into the project. But the latest version of the budget put forward by Council Chair Phil Mendelson doesn’t hold to that commitment, in effect nixing the bike lane yet again.

Action on climate goals isn’t a football to be passed back and forth. Seeing the Mayor–and possibly the Council–OK the scaling back of bike lane projects makes it hard to believe that the District’s leaders value urban modernization and effective climate change resilience.

District of Climate Action

With the final budget vote in their hands, DC Councilmembers have an opportunity to stand up for future generations and for common sense. Who are we building for, if not for people who will use our infrastructure in future decades?

I hope the final budget will allow DC to keep its climate commitments. Climate action really can’t be delayed if we want to avoid disastrous effects for humans and the planet, including residents of DC and our regional neighbors. But that ethical imperative does not have to stand alone. Climate action is an avenue towards better infrastructure and a more resilient population – necessary foundations for a strong 21st-century city.

Whether climate-related topics like energy efficiency or urbanism-coded themes like non-car transportation tug on your personal heartstrings more, it is all part of the same urban modernization ecosystem. This is why this year’s budget season has been one to watch closely, and why those of us concerned with urban livability and quality of life should keep advocating for our shared agenda.