Residents of Montgomery County are being called to small acts that could trigger significant environmental impacts through the newly launched Climate Smart Campaign. With a primary focus on individual action, the program, unveiled today, aligns with the county's ambitious climate goals, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promote sustainability, as per Montgomery County Government.
"In Montgomery County, we’ve set ambitious goals to tackle climate change, but we know we can’t achieve them alone," County Executive Marc Elrich emphasized in his approach to involve residents directly in the fight against climate change. To support the movement, the county has adopted the motto "BIG CHANGE starts small," a call to collective action born from individual commitment. The campaign was reported on by the official county's press release early this morning.
The Climate Smart Campaign is designed to guide community members towards climate-smart choices in five specific areas of their daily lives: food, emergency preparedness, transportation, energy, and plants. Suggestions include planning meals in advance, utilizing public transport, engaging in energy management practices at home, and fostering local green spaces through tree planting.
"Our goal is to make it easy for each member of our community to take small, meaningful steps that add up to big changes for our climate," stressed Jon Monger, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. These incremental changes, as proposed by the campaign, are positioned to collectively counter Montgomery County's GHG emissions, 42 percent of which, as County Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin mentioned, stem from the transportation sector alone. Further details are outlined in the county's recent climate plan, aiming to cut emissions by 80 percent by 2027 and reach net-zero by 2035, according to the same press release.
To facilitate residents' commitment to becoming Climate Smart, the County has introduced a pledge, accessible via a QR code available through various media, including on Ride On buses. For further information or to take the pledge, interested parties are directed to the Montgomery County Climate Action Portal.
