Yassamin Ansari, the youngest woman elected to the Phoenix City Council, hopes to implement the reduction of climate change within the District 7 community in addition to other commitments.
The inspiration behind Ansari running for office and eventually being elected to Phoenix City Council, stemmed from her previous work in regards to climate change and air pollution issues.
Before being elected to Phoenix City Council, Ansari was a climate advisor in the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General, in addition to Deputy Director of Policy for the Global Climate Action Summit.
Being a Phoenix resident for years, Ansari realized that the city is on the front line of the climate crisis and has some of the worst air quality in the United States.
“I felt that I could use my expertise and experience in this area to really make a difference at the local level in Phoenix, one of the number one sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pollution as a result of fossil fuel cars on the road,” Ansari said.
According to the city of Phoenix, less than 1% of cars registered in Phoenix are electric vehicles and Phoenix is at the epicenter of the climate crisis with the severe drought, rising heat, and rapidly growing population. Since most vehicles registered are gasoline powered, it is attributed to the GHG emissions and the ongoing pollution in Phoenix.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego admitted Ansari to the chair of the Electric Vehicle Ad Hoc Committee. Its goal is to develop a road map for the city of Phoenix that creates policies in order to make electric vehicles more affordable and accessible, all while addressing climate change. The Electric Vehicle Ad Hoc Committee holds meetings every other week that’s open to the public virtually.
“It’s eye opening,” said Mia Germinaro, an ASU student who attended one of the recent meetings. Germinaro said that having someone represent the issue of climate change is refreshing, as she recently realized that it’s becoming a problem in Phoenix specifically.
“Since there is an actual committee representing these issues, I hope the rise of awareness will make electric smart cars more affordable for people wanting to avoid contributing to the pollution,” she said.
Ansari said what’s interesting is the variety of issues she gets to work on any given day, such as: homelessness, police reform, and climate change. Recently the city of Phoenix received $200 million dollars of federal funding through the American Rescue Plan, so the entire council has been proposing a new program for the city.
“I represent a very diverse district,” Ansari said. “I think one of the challenges is maintaining focus and not getting overwhelmed by the variety of issues.”
With a handful amount of staff members, Ansari said it can be a little challenging as Phoenix is a large city. However, it is a big responsibility as the council represents hundreds of thousands of residents, so for Ansari it’s important to prioritize certain key issues and tackle them down one by one.
Contact the reporter at jmmclai1@asu.edu
