Topics

Priority Areas for the Office of Resilience & Sustainability

New Orleans is on the frontlines of climate change.  The devastation from Hurricane Ida in 2021 reminded us of the risks of an increasingly volatile climate and the need to build strong and lasting infrastructure that can adapt.  By integrating initiatives that reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and help the City adapt to climate change into our economic agenda, we can create new, environmentally-friendly economic opportunites that reduce our risk and improve the long-term health and vitality fo our city.

Energy

To reduce our reliance on carbon-intensive fuels, save energy, and make our resources sustainable, we need to improve our energy, water, and sewer infrastructure. The City of New Orleans is taking action to reduce the overall amount of energy we use. 

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Adaptation & Nature Based Solutions

New Orleans faces several water-related climate issues due to its unique geographical and environmental characteristics.  To address these challenges, New Orleans has implemented various measures such as strengthening levee systems, investing in improved drainage infrastructure, and incorporating nature-based solutions like wetland restoration.

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Transportation

Combustion of petroleum gas and diesel in cars, trucks, and buses on our roads accounts for nearly 43% of the City’s total GHG emissions. Famously, the City once had a large network of streetcars and, as one of the first American cities to use electric trolleys, New Orleans has historically embraced innovative public transportation.

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Waste & Recycling

Organic waste in our trash and sewage is the source of about 6% of the community-wide GHG emissions. Reducing these emissions substantially will require a significant investment of resources in the City’s waste and wastewater management infrastructure and potentially a substantial overhaul in how waste is managed in the city to make these investments cost effective.

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