The Office of Resilience and Sustainability, focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, no longer exists. Its duties now fall under a consolidated office called the Office of Recovery and Resilience, which reports to the mayor instead of another city department.
Houston City Council voted Wednesday (2/26) to replace the Office of Resilience and Sustainability with the new Office of Recovery and Resilience, which will report directly to the mayor. This change shifts oversight of the city’s Climate Action Plan from the previous office, which was under the Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department.
Angela Blanchard, the city’s chief recovery and resilience officer, will now oversee the Climate Action Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. The plan includes goals like transitioning the city’s vehicle fleet to electric and low-emission options, improving public transportation, and expanding carbon capture technology.
Council member Abbie Kamin proposed an amendment, which was approved, to also place the Resilient Houston Plan under this new office. This plan focuses on improving transportation and emergency preparedness.
Officials say the restructuring will not change the Climate Action Plan itself but will help ensure progress. Mayor John Whitmire’s chief of staff, Chris Newport, said the city will update the plan to focus on actions the city can directly control, such as reducing energy use at government buildings.
Blanchard is also leading efforts to improve the city’s disaster response, particularly after recent weather events like flooding in Kingwood, the derecho windstorm in May, and Hurricane Beryl in July. Before joining Whitmire’s administration, she spent over 25 years with BakerRipley, a nonprofit focused on disaster recovery and community support.
