INDIANAPOLIS — At the recent Climate Leadership Summit 2, the City’s Office of Sustainability issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a Sustainability and Resilience Action Plan.
The RFQ seeks consultants to assist with the evaluation of existing City of Indianapolis plans, initiatives, assets, and services to determine their impact on neighborhood-level poverty, crime, and health in light of vulnerability to natural disasters and climate impacts. The selected team will review neighborhood- and department-level data and build the capacity of City departments to include climate data in decision-making and asset tracking systems.
“The Sustainability and Resilience Action Plan will set Indianapolis on a path that not only increases our resilience to the changing climate, but spurs economic growth and improves quality of life,” said Mayor Hogsett. “Ever aware of the need to act today to ensure Indianapolis thrives tomorrow, we are undertaking this ambitious task to lay the groundwork that will protect our community for generations to come.”
The RFQ further calls for recommendations of equitable short- and long-term mitigation and adaptation strategies that drive down carbon emissions and address social, environmental, and economic factors. Identified strategies will be paired with an analysis of the costs and impacts of both adopting the strategy and taking no action. The team will also be tasked with developing methods for communicating regional climate risks and producing a public-facing report on the risks and opportunities of climate change in Central Indiana.
The completed Sustainability and Resilience Action Plan will include:
• A Greenhouse Gas Inventory: community-wide greenhouse gas inventory with a verified baseline that forecasts emissions scenarios and recommends greenhouse gas reduction targets.
• A Disaster and Climate Risks Vulnerability Assessment: vulnerability assessment that includes socio-economic factors and impacts related to climate change and natural hazards.
• A Community Messaging Strategy: a public outreach strategy on sustainability, climate change and associated risks and opportunities, and resilience.
• A Solid Waste Minimization Plan: comprehensive plan to serve as a roadmap to minimize waste generation and maximize resource recovery over the next 10 years.
Responses to this RFQ must be received by 12:00 p.m. EST on October 6, 2017. More information can be found at my.indy.gov/activity/find-bid-opportunities.