Nearly a dozen Indiana cities said they would develop plans to address their greenhouse gas emissions before the end of the year as part of an Indiana University program.

Carmel, Elkhart, Evansville, Fishers, Fort Wayne, Gary, Goshen, Michigan City, Richmond, West Lafayette and Zionsville will work alongside Indiana University staff and students to reduce emissions.

The plans will outline specific actions that the communities will undertake in order to reach reduced emissions targets. The plans will then be presented to community officials for review and approval.

“Once adopted, these plans will provide a tailored roadmap for each community to address local sources of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change,” said Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute director Janet McCabe. “In addition to lowering a community’s climate impact, implementing these plans will lead to immediate community benefits like green jobs, lower utility bills and improved air quality.”

McCabe said reduced emissions plans could also help communities with bond ratings, as more agencies begin to take climate change vulnerabilities into account.

The cities were members of the 2019 Resilience Cohort, a program that provided 14 Indiana cities, towns and counties the resources to complete a greenhouse gas survey, a community-wide accounting of how much greenhouse gas is emitted.

You can learn more about the Resilience Cohort here.