Press Release

Cleveland Mayoral Candidates Discuss Plans for Tackling Environmental Issues

Cleveland, OH — On Wednesday evening, organizations throughout the city hosted the Cleveland Mayoral Candidate Forum: For a Healthier and More Equitable Environment

All seven Cleveland mayoral candidates participated in the virtual forum hosted by Ideastream Public Media reporter and producer Justin Glanville. During the event, candidates provided opening and closing remarks in addition to answering a series of questions sourced from community members and advocates on topics related to environmental justice, water, land and green space, infrastructure and transportation, as well as energy and air quality. 

“As we currently face issues caused by climate change we need our elected leaders to step up to address the environmental issues facing Cleveland,” said Jacob VanSickle, Executive Director at Bike Cleveland. “Issues of mobility, air quality, energy and water quality are all issues that impact our residents’ quality of life. This forum is a part of helping residents understand where our mayoral candidates stand on environmental justice issues.”

To further engage the community, Cleveland Public Library, Environmental Health Watch, Trust for Public Land, and UnBar Cafe hosted community watch parties for residents and advocates. The event was broadcast live on WOVU 95.9 FM and will air again on Sunday, July 25 at 6 p.m.

More than 450 people, representing every zip code in the city of Cleveland, registered to attend the event online or at a community watch party.

“The strong turnout for the candidate forum shows the depth of interest among Clevelanders in the city’s environmental future,” said Angelique Salizan, Ohio Policy and Outreach Manager at the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “The next mayor of Cleveland will have no shortage of environmental issues to address to ensure clean water, air and land for everyone in the city. This event was an important opportunity for candidates to hear directly from community members.”

“We thank Cleveland’s mayoral candidates for participating in this critical conversation. We hope this is the first of many opportunities Cleveland residents hear from the candidates on their plans to secure a healthier environment for all,” said Emily Bacha, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Ohio Environmental Council.

A recording of the event can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2GzrwerPuI

Residents interested in learning more about priority environmental issues can explore the Cleveland Environmental Resident Engagement Toolkit and the Cleveland Comprehensive Environmental Policy Platform

The nonpartisan 501(c)(3) educational event forum was organized in partnership by the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Bike Cleveland, Black Environmental Leaders Association, Cleveland 2030 District, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District, Neighborhood Connections, Ohio Environmental Council, Ohio Women’s Alliance, and Policy Matters Ohio. More than two dozen additional organizations partnered to promote and broadcast the event to the community. 

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For press inquiries, please contact ebacha<at>theoec.org