Despite Increasing Climate Disasters, Des Moines Pursues Closure of Sustainability Office

The Iowa Environmental Council has learned that the City of Des Moines’ Office of Sustainability is under threat of elimination even as climate change endangers our city. The city government has eliminated staff positions and appears to be on track to close the office altogether. This action happens as 2024 was ranked as the globe’s hottest year on record. Climate and extreme weather challenges are not going away; they are increasing. The past 10 years (2015-2024) are each ranked within the top 10 hottest years in global history.  

Climate Disasters are on the Rise in Des Moines 

Now is the time to invest more, not less, in our city’s sustainability infrastructure. Recent history shows us how devastating the impacts of climate change can be on our neighborhoods, city infrastructure, health, and livelihoods. 

• In 2024, our city experienced one of its earliest, longest, and most intense heat waves, the rivers winding through our city swelled out of their banks due to extreme rainfall, and increasingly severe storms brought a tornado to downtown Des Moines.  
• In 2020, a derecho destroyed tree canopy and brought destruction to the city. 
• In 2008, flash flooding cost lives and caused billions in property damage. 

These impacts threaten our community, and the threat is only increasing. The Office of Sustainability the driver for ensuring that Adapt DSM, our city-wide plan for combating these challenges, is implemented and remains a top priority. 

In a Leadership Vacuum, Local Climate Action is Critical 

Our leaders at the state and federal levels have repeatedly failed to deliver action on climate change in a meaningful or consistent way, leaving individual communities to grapple with its impacts while still contributing to a worsening problem. This absence of leadership has made climate and sustainability leadership at the local level even more critical to making our city an attractive place to live, work, and raise a family. The investments secured by the Office of Sustainability make Des Moines a safer, cleaner, and healthier place to live, which is crucial to attracting new workers, jobs, and residents. The choice to preserve the Office is an investment in long-term growth. Des Moines has a legacy of climate leadership, with former Mayor Frank Cownie committing the city to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017. Des Moines should embrace climate leadership, not abandon it. 

A Small Budget Generates Big Returns 

Our city has a robust climate action and sustainability plan in Adapt DSM, and it’s something all Des Moines residents can be proud of. However, a plan without reliable and consistent leadership and adequate financial support is one that sits on a shelf instead of being implemented. The Office of Sustainability led the development of Adapt DSM and was charged as its implementation manager even as the Office’s budget represents a tiny fraction of the City’s budget. Despite this small allocation, the Office of Sustainability has generated millions in investments in critical community infrastructure. 

In fact, while representing only 0.03% of the total city budget this fiscal year, the Office of Sustainability has already assisted in attracting nearly $4 million in grant funds for vital community investments, including lowering energy bills, expanding tree planting, improving stormwater management, and educating our city’s most vulnerable residents about the dangers of extreme heat. Further, the Office has applied for more than $20 million in additional projects to support critical weatherization and energy efficiency improvements for low-income homeowners, expand bike lanes, install micro-transportation hubs and electric vehicle charging stations, reduce pollution, and remove sources of drinking water contamination from homes. Des Moines cannot let this progress stall now. 

Despite This Move, Our Neighborhoods are Still at Risk 

Eliminating the Office of Sustainability would lead us to believe that climate change and environmental pollution are not a major challenge in Des Moines; however, the data tell a different story. The reality is that our city faces elevated risks from both climate change and pollution. The Office of Sustainability and the unanimously adopted Adapt DSM plan are central to reducing these risks to our neighborhoods. Just a few of the climate and pollution hazards facing areas of Des Moines include:  

• Ranking in the 98th percentile nationally for overall health risks from extreme heat. 
• Ranking in the 94th percentile nationally for the risk of flooding over the next 30 years. 
• Ranking in the 97th percentile nationally for proximity to toxic superfund sites. 
• Raking in the 99th percentile nationally for homes with lead paint in them, representing a significant health risk to our children. 

Act Now to Preserve a Climate-Resilient Future in Des Moines 

Fortunately, it’s not too late for us to demand stronger climate leadership from our city government. Des Moines residents have consistently pressed for progress on climate action and a greener city, not the closure of the office tasked with making that happen. Take action to let our elected officials know that it is time to invest more, not less, in a sustainable and resilient future for Des Moines.