This week, the City of Dallas launched the Dallas Climate Action website as a public resource for information about the city’s progress in environmental and climate initiatives.

As part of the Dallas Environmental Quality & Sustainability (DEQS) office, the website will include background data, an event schedule, document library, and serve as a conduit between the public and DEQS.

DEQS was established in 2004 to bring environmental leadership to the city and handle compliance issues, such as federal litigation in 2006 against Dallas for Clean Water Act violations. Recently, the office expanded its mission to include climate change and environmental planning, recycling, water conservation, air and storm water enforcement, environmental outreach, and community engagement.

Last fiscal year, DEQS held its first North Texas Climate Change Symposium and partnered with the Nature Conservancy to create the “Breath Easy Dallas” school-based air monitoring network.

This year, DEQS is developing the Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) with a town hall planned at Fair Park’s Hall of State on Saturday, April 27 during the upcoming EarthX 2019 Expo and Conference.

“Without working to ensure that we have a healthy environment, we potentially put everything—our health, our ecosystems, our children, and economic growth—at risk,” Sue Alvarez, assistant director of DEQS, told Smart Cities Dive. “The bedrock of community action is education and engagement. We hope [the website] will be one tool that supports it.”

The website launch comes after the city council passed a resolution to develop CECAP at its January 23 meeting. The resolution authorized a professional services contract with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for environmental consulting services not to exceed $499,969.