KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In a recent White House Press conference, fictional television soccer coach Ted Lasso said it best.
"What I am genuinely worried about is once we get all these folks from all over the world to come to Kansas City and see our city, eat our food, meet our people, you’re going to have a lot of folks that won’t want to move away," Lasso, played by Overland Park-native Jason Sudeikis, said.
In the same way elected officials and city leaders have tried to position the city as a hub for Midwest activity, there's a similar effort to position Kansas City as a model for climate action in the Midwest.
The effort includes the city's Chief Environmental Officer Andy Savastino (at left above), Mayor Quinton Lucas, Councilwoman Andrea Bough and City Manager Brian Platt, among many others.
In a recent interview with KSHB, the group spoke about the LEED gold certification of the recently-opened new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport and the passage of a Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan.
The plan works to identify ways for the city to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to meet a pledge to be carbon neutral by 2040.
City leaders are not only excited about the plan, but believe it will entice the next generation to raise their families here.
“The next generation that’s looking for a place to live is looking for those unique and innovative initiatives that we’re doing to fight climate change as reasons why they are picking their city as a place they want to go," Platt said.
Going green may be alluring, but is it possible?
Missouri's coal footprint might just be the elephant in the room.
According to the Energy Information Administration, in 2021, coal provided 74 percent of Missouri’s electricity net generation, the second-highest share of any state, behind only West Virginia.
And as a state, Missouri uses nearly eight times more energy than it produces.
Can the largest city in the state really remove coal from the equation?
“We are at 24 percent right now - so we’ve got 20 years to get to carbon neutral," Savastino said. "It’s a pretty heavy lift."
Part of that time will be spent working with officials and elected leaders at the state level, an effort already underway, Councilwoman Bough says.
"Specifically, we are dealing with an effort [by the state] to limit our ability to pass certain ordinances like our energy efficient building code," Bough said. "It makes it difficult because we are trying to do things that make Kansas City a leader in energy efficiency, building codes and climate protection.”
Despite the state's coal connection, city leaders are dedicated on working toward a green future.
Platt highlighted recent efforts to pass a new policy requiring all new city vehicles to be battery electric; The replacement of 46 fire department SUVs with a fleet of electric vehicles; And the city's plan to build a solar array out by the airport.
It's that focus on the future the mayor believes gives Kansas City the ability to be a trailblazer when it comes to climate action in the Midwest.
“I think that’s how we as a community truly lead," Lucas said. "Tell someone who’s looking for somewhere where their family can... have a place where they aren’t worried about rising energy costs and survivibility concerns long term.”
—