Washington Post: White House defines ‘zero-emission’ buildings, hoping more get built

The new national resilience strategy comes as the nation reels from a string of costly disasters, including devastating wildfires in Maui and Hurricane Idalia in Florida. Scientists say climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events, fueling a rise in calamities that cost the nation at least $1 billion each. Idalia became the 23rd “billion dollar” weather disaster to strike the United States this year, eclipsing the previous record of 22 set in 2020.

“2023 has set a new record for the most billion-dollar disasters in U.S. history, and that’s beginning to feel like the new normal,” said Satya Rhodes-Conway, the mayor of Madison, Wis., and chair of Climate Mayors, a bipartisan coalition of more than 750 mayors committed to climate action.

“When disaster strikes, it’s local government that has to pick up the pieces. We’re the ones on the front lines,” Rhodes-Conway said on a call with reporters Wednesday previewing the summit. “And the Biden administration gets that.”