Minneapolis has adopted a Climate Equity Plan that includes modernisation of city infrastructure, housing stock and utilities in pursuit of net-zero goals. The City has set ambitious health and sustainability goals and the target of achieving city carbon neutrality by 2050.

The city’s new net-zero climate plan complements Minneapolis’ current smart city projects, but goes beyond them in scope and ambition.

The top areas of focus for the city’s new climate plan include: energy systems; healthier homes; transportation modernisation; green buildings; greening the city’s economy and workforce.

The objectives of Minneapolis’ plan include achieving 100% renewable electricity; reducing emissions from commercial buildings by 75%; creating a sustainable local food system; improving the efficiency of electrical infrastructure and of homes across the city, and shifting to electric power in place of fossil fuel sources citywide.

The plan adopted by Minneapolis includes a 12-month working timeline, with areas of work prioritised and immediate activities highlighted.

The city already runs a number of smart city projects, which complement the objectives and goals of its new net-zero climate action plan. These include its Liveable Streets project, which aims to improve access for people of all abilities; a smart parking project using sensors to track parking availability and make it easier for people to find parking spaces; smart waste management, which uses sensors to track waste levels and optimise collection routes; and a smart public safety project which employs technology to improve public safety, including using cameras to monitor crime and using drones to respond to emergencies.