Mindy Granley has been on the job as the Sustainability Officer of the City of Duluth for over two years. In that short time, the city of Duluth formed a climate action plan and subsequently won the 2022 Sustainable Cities Award from the League of Minnesota Cities. "I think the group must have been impressed with how fast we got a climate action plan over the finish line," says Granley. "That's a testament to the motivation of not just our mayor and our city council and our leadership across the city, but also our citizens."
Some goals incorporated into the 5-year plan include driving down emissions, strengthening community resilience, and eliminating barriers and opening lanes toward policy change. There are also "shovel-ready" projects highlighted in the plan.
Although the main focus is on the next five years, Granley has thoughts on the more distant future. "One of the things I think about the future is how are we going to heat all of these 28,000 homes and buildings across the city without fossil fuels... it's going to take time and effort from every sector."
