Dr. Matthew Potzler is an Environmental Air Quality and Climate Specialist in the Office of Environmental Programs for the City of Phoenix and was instrumental in the development of the City’s climate action plan that was approved by Phoenix City Council in 2021 as part of Phoenix’s commitments as a C40 City and to the Paris Agreement. Both the mitigation and sustainability sectors of the climate action plan focus on overburdened communities in an effort to increase equitable outcomes for all Phoenix residents. Matthew also oversees the City’s air quality program to ensure regulatory compliance. Matthew earned his bachelor of science and doctorate degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona, where he was a NSF GK12 Fellow, a NSF Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow, with research focused on environmental remediation.
SESSION
Phoenix Climate Action Planning for a Sustainable and Equitable Desert City
Learn how to develop an inclusive, equitable climate action plan and how to implement it from the local government perspective.
Learning Objectives
- Learn strategies to incorporate climate action into local governmental agencies.
- Learn about inclusive, bilingual community engagement practices in developing and implementing climate action.
- Learn approaches to creating a science-based climate action plan and measuring implementation progress.
Participant Outcomes
- Learn how to incorporate climate action as part of a local government agency.
- Identify community partners and new approaches to community engagement to provide the most insight in developing an equitable, actionable plan.
- Learn how resilience is addressed and measured at the local government level.