Help wanted: Minneapolis recruits residents in the climate fight

It’s a chilly Tuesday evening, and Kim Havey stands before the crowd with a simple message: Minneapolis needs residents’ help.

Last year, the city pledged to transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2030. But city administrators and utilities can’t meet that goal without citizen involvement, says Mr. Havey, the city’s director of sustainability. 

“This is going to be really a joint effort,” Mr. Havey tells residents gathered for the neighborhood association meeting. As he asks for their ideas, he encourages them to view the shift not as a sacrifice but as bringing local benefits – in health, jobs, and lower living costs.

The evening’s pitch is part of a larger mission for Mr. Havey: nurturing more sustainable behavior. Even in politically liberal cities like this one, the job of reducing carbon emissions hinges on more than just raising an alarm and setting ambitious goals. As a practical

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