New program aims to bring sustainability to disadvantaged Nashville neighborhoods [Video]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Nashville is one of 25 cities selected to join Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities. It’s a three-year initiative where a team will focus on developing solutions to combat climate change issues while also addressing the racial wealth gap in Nashville.

The city plans to focus its efforts on the north Nashville, Bordeaux and southeast Nashville communities through the initiative. The city cites these areas have a high energy burden.

Kendra Abkowitz, the Director of Sustainability and Resilience in the Mayor’s office, defines energy burden, “[It] is a measure that is the percentage of your household’s income that’s spent on energy…energy burden tends to be much higher in a lot of our minority communities.”

Issac Addae, the liaison for small and minority businesses for the city, shares why climate change and other environmental factors disproportionately impact those areas.

“Some of it can go back to how we look …