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While state and federal climate policy have regressed this year, Charlotte adopted ambitious new community-wide energy goals. However, climate change is not an issue that Tina Katsanos, co-chair of the Climate Reality Project in Charlotte, sees reflected in municipal elections this year.
“We need a lot more education around climate change and other forms of environmental degradation,” Katsanos said. “Politicians need to know that there is a substantial amount of their constituents [who] really do care.”
Although only half of Mecklenburg County constituents believe climate change will harm them personally, 63% believe local officials should do more to address global warming, according to a 2024 Yale opinion poll.
Climate and environmental groups gathered near Plaza Midwood last week for an educational networking event hosted by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Climate Leaders.
Charlotte resident Christy Kluesner was more ambivalent. She didn’t see candidates addressing climate problems like extreme heat. But she said that after a recent conversation during a fundraising event, District 5 candidate JD Mazuera Arias updated his website to reflect his stance on environmental policy.
“He's talked to me about beefing up the unified development ordinance to make sure that developers don't tear down all the trees,” Kluesner said.
Arias said that while he doesn’t support the current UDO, he favors amending the ordinance to protect Charlotte’s tree canopy.
Looking ahead to the general election
Sustain Charlotte’s Meg Fencil attended the open house to raise awareness about the city’s transportation emissions — the leading source of carbon pollution in the city. This year, City Council adopted new climate goals that target those emissions, aiming to eliminate the majority of community-wide emissions by 2035.
“If we can shift at least 50% of trips that are currently taken by driving alone to more environmentally-friendly forms of transportation, we can have a huge impact on the air quality, but also on our contribution to climate change,” Fencil said. She said walking, biking, taking public transportation and carpooling are all options that pollute less.
In the general election, Charlotteans will vote on a ballot measure to raise the sales tax one cent to fund road, rail and bus improvements. Mecklenburg County’s sales tax rate would increase to 8.25%.
Many of the city’s climate targets will hinge on whether the referendum passes, although some current city council members have expressed skepticism over the long-sought sales tax increase. Councilmembers Lawana Mayfield and Victoria Watlington said recently on Charlotte Talks that they still had not made up their minds about voting for the transit plan.
This ambivalence has crept into the electorate — voters like Bella McInnes, a recent graduate from North Carolina State University, who attended the open house to network. She said that she would still like more information before she goes to the polls.
“For the most part, I think I would just say yes,” McInnes said. “That would be my instinct.”
WFAE staff member Julian Berger is Mazuera Arias’ partner. He is not involved in any coverage of the District 5 race or coverage of the Charlotte City Council.
