Archived News Release: October 14, 2020 - The City of Ann Arbor, with a vision to engage and empower Ann Arborites as stewards of sustainability, is launching the A2ZERO Climate Ambassador Program. This nine-week leadership program will equip residents with the knowledge and tools necessary to support Ann Arbor's transition toward carbon neutrality. Following their training, A2ZERO ambassadors will provide invaluable volunteer support for various projects that aim to reduce our collective environmental footprint and enhance our community's overall resilience.
The inaugural cohort of A2ZERO ambassadors will meet Wednesday nights, Nov. 18, 2020–Feb. 3, 2021. Trainings will be held 7–9 p.m. via Zoom, unless otherwise specified. Each week, A2ZERO ambassadors will gain insights in developing and implementing solutions to enhance personal and local sustainability. Material covered will include equity and environmental justice, energy efficiency and electrification, emergency preparedness, and strategies to achieve zero waste, among other relevant topics.
Residents interested in sustainability and climate action are encouraged to join. To submit your application and become an A2ZERO ambassador, visit http://bit.ly/A2ZEROAmbassador.
The A2ZERO Climate Ambassador Program is part of the city's A2ZERO Carbon Neutrality Plan, which outlines a path for how the entire Ann Arbor community can achieve a just transition to community-wide carbon neutrality by the year 2030. Community engagement was essential in developing the plan, and it continues to play a significant role as the city moves forward with implementing the outlined actions. The city recognizes achieving carbon neutrality will require mobilization of Ann Arborites on a nearly unprecedented scale. The A2ZERO ambassadors are imperative, the city notes, in achieving the ambitious and laudable goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.
From November 2019 to March 2020, the City of Ann Arbor, in collaboration with more than 65 partner organizations, hosted dozens of public events, conducted online public engagement, worked with four technical advisory committees, administered three public surveys, reviewed dozens of peer-reviewed and technical documents, and consulted with peers around the nation to develop the A2ZERO Carbon Neutrality Plan. The plan was unanimously adopted by City Council on June 1, 2020. To learn more about the city's carbon neutrality work, visit www.a2gov.org/sustainability.
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