New DNR program to help state organizations collaborate on climate change goals | 威斯康星州公共广播电台

Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources is developing a program to help businesses, communities and nonprofits achieve their climate change goals. The 绿色的线 Charter for Climate Action will create a platform for local and regional organizations to share advice on sustainability initiatives and work together on 环境al projects. Waupaca铸造 has been a longtime member of the 绿色的线 program.

Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources is developing a program to help businesses, communities and nonprofits achieve their climate change goals.

The 绿色的线 Charter for Climate Action will create a platform for local and regional organizations to share advice on sustainability initiatives and work together on 环境al projects.

"You would basically have a 'call a friend' list of other participants that are in the charter,布莱恩特·埃施说, director of 环境al engineering for Waupaca铸造 — one of 10 businesses who have expressed interest in the climate charter. 

绿色的线 is the DNR's sustainability program and was founded in 2004. 最近, 韦斯顿韦格纳, business support coordinator for the project, said more organizations across the state have been hoping to get involved. 

"We have interest from a diverse group of organizations who are all kind of looking for assistance,韦格纳说. "They're looking for a place to start, looking for some goals that they can work on or maybe even some other organizations to work with."

The DNR held a meeting in early August to introduce and develop the climate charter proposal. About 27 businesses, communities, government agencies and nonprofits attended.

Preston Cole, Wisconsin DNR secretary, spoke at the start of the meeting. He said it will be essential for state organizations to pursue "voluntary actions" and "technological innovations" to mitigate the impacts of climate change. 

"What's coming at us is daunting," Cole said. "But it's going to require each and every one of us to step our game up."

Wegener outlined three possible projects that organizations could help with, including mentoring other organizations on climate actions they can take, pursuing renewable energy initiatives and participating in the 万亿棵树承诺. 

The pledge aims to conserve 125,000 acres and plant 75 million trees in Wisconsin by 2030. Julie Ballweg is the forestry climate change policy advisor for the DNR, and 她说 the climate charter will encourage tree-planting efforts in areas where it's needed most.

"The DNR plants a lot of trees but not enough to meet the pledge," Ballweg said. "And so 绿色的线 is great because it's a collaboration of a lot of different people, and it's bringing people that we haven't normally worked with in forestry." 

Ballweg said there's an estimated 3.1 million acres of reforestation potential in Wisconsin, but the DNR doesn't have access to all of that land. Working with partners through the climate charter will provide more opportunities for the 万亿棵树承诺 to be accomplished, 她说.

Esch of Waupaca铸造 said the business has been a longtime member of the 绿色的线 program. He said the company's leaders are excited about the new opportunity through the climate charter because they'll be able to help smaller businesses that may not have the resources to start sustainability efforts on their own. 

"We definitely have ideas where we would like to bounce stuff off some other knowledgeable folks or just say, 'hey if we're going to calculate certain things or proceed in a certain fashion, what's the right protocol?'"

韦格纳说 organizations that join the climate charter will be connected with a DNR employee who they can reach out to for support. Organizations who join will need to participate in collaboration projects, promote the program and possibly recruit other participants, among other commitments. 

With international efforts to address climate change, 韦格纳说 it can be difficult for people to visualize how local organizations can help and what impact their actions may have.

He said the climate charter will help local leaders realize their potential and recognize how they can join sustainability efforts. 

There isn't one organization that can solve climate change, 韦格纳说, so teamwork across the state is crucial.

"This is for Wisconsin. It's for our neighborhoods, it's for our communities, and we can do more when everybody works together,他说.