Giving Compass' Take:

· According to Smart Cities Dive, Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle has signed an executive order which will advance the city's Green New Deal. 

· What is included in Seattle's Green New Deal? How can other states participate in climate action?

· Check out this article about the new era of environmentalism in Seattle. 

The first round of building electrification plans are due this summer after an executive order from Mayor Jenny Durkan advancing a Green New Deal.

The goals in Seattle's Green New Deal mirror those in the city's climate action plan. A primary aim is to reduce building and vehicle emissions citywide. By eliminating fossil fuels starting with municipal buildings, the city leads by example and encourages the private and residential sectors to follow suit.

And it could have a big impact. The Sierra Club said in a statement that buildings are responsible for 35% of the city's emissions. It called this move a "necessary first step" away from fossil fuels that should lead to further action in the future.

Durkan's executive order advances the Seattle City Council's August resolution working toward a Green New Deal for the city. That resolution expressed support for limiting new fossil fuel infrastructure construction and decreasing residential fossil fuel use. Durkan praised the council's action at the time.

Council members discussed equity for low-income and other marginalized populations before passing the resolution. Equity is a central tenet of the resolution as it addresses at length the need to have a well thought out and gradual plan for reducing fossil fuel use to reduce the impact on citizens.

Read the full article about Seattle's Green New Deal by Katie Pyzyk at Smart Cities Dive.