Along with a number of cities throughout Minnesota and other states and countries, the Moorhead City Council passed a resolution on January 24 acknowledging and acting locally to address climate change and calling on the state and federal government for support.
“The City of Moorhead is already out front on efforts to be climate-friendly. In 2021 our City received the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Level 4 certification, which speaks to our efforts in sustainability and attention to preserving our environment,” said Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson. “Today’s resolution affirms Moorhead’s strong commitment to reducing the negative effects of destructive changes to our environment. We only have one planet – we better take care of it.”
Moorhead is now part of an emerging non-partisan group of Minnesota cities focused on the adverse impact climate change has on cities’ economic well-being and quality of life. The work of participating cities is facilitated by Great Plains Institute (
betterenergy.org) with funding from the Energy Foundation and the McKnight Foundation. Notably, the five largest cities in the state are joining with smaller cities to draw attention to the damage caused by climate change and identify opportunities to begin to reverse it.
Additional cities currently working on climate emergency declarations are expected to announce in the coming months. Cities participating or considering similar actions include Bloomington, Columbia Heights, Crystal Bay, Duluth, Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Grand Marais, Grand Rapids, Lauderdale, Maplewood, Minneapolis, Moorhead, Northfield, Red Wing, Robbinsdale, Rochester, St Louis Park, and St. Paul.
