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Building a sustainable and resilient future is the global and ethical challenge of our time.

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Building a sustainable and resilient future is the global and ethical challenge of our time. To ensure our graduates are prepared to meet the challenge, Sonoma State infuses these principles into everything we do - our academic and student life, physical campus and operations and regional collaboration throughout the North Bay. Explore how we are making an impact in our community and the world.

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Building a sustainable and resilient future is the global and ethical challenge of our time. To ensure our graduates are prepared to meet the challenge, Sonoma State infuses these principles into everything we do - our academic and student life, physical campus and operations and regional collaboration throughout the North Bay.

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There is no 'one-size fits all' approach for communities to anticipate, plan, and adapt to the changing climate. Projected climate impacts are not expected to be the same in every region of the county. Local awareness of climate change vulnerabilities differ. Available resources to assess and adapt, financial and technical, vary. A variety of processes and approaches are available to help communities understand their climate change vulnerabilities and take action.

To help communities get started, the following information is provided.

A Framework for Getting Started

The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit provides a useful five-step process that outlines steps that communities can take to identify, assess, and confront their climate vulnerabilities. The site also provides resources (e.g., data, tools, case studies) from across the federal government to help communities put the process into action.
U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
The following links, available in other sections of the Climate Change Adaptation Resource Center, are also provided here to help those new to climate change adaptation.

Local Government Climate Adaptation Training - This on-line training was developed to assist local government officials understand climate change in the context of delivering reliable and cost effective services to communities, even as the climate changes.

Community-Based Adaptation to a Changing Climate - This handout describes the impacts of climate change on local government services, provides illustrative adaptation strategies, and includes examples of community-based adaptation actions.

Many states now have adaptation resources to assist their communities adapt to the changing climate.
Contacts and Additional Information
Comprehensive Adaptation Planning

A number of local governments have found assessing vulnerability across the broad range of government services as an effective approach to anticipate, plan for, and adapt to a changing climate. The comprehensive approach can be an effective way to increase awareness and build momentum.

See the process by which the Boston city government assessed vulnerability and developed an adaptation plan to respond to sea level rise and other climate risks.

See how the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments developed an adaptation plan with policy options for the consideration of its local jurisdictions.

A number of communities have found it advantageous to work collaboratively with neighboring communities to advance their adaptation planning goals.

See how South Florida counties and municipalities partnered to develop a comprehensive sea level rise assessment.

Sector-Based Adaptation Planning

Local awareness of climate change vulnerabilities can differ among departments and sectors of a community. Some communities have found it more appropriate to start the adaptation planning effort with a focus on a particular sector. EPA has developed a number of approaches and tools to support adaptation planning in several sectors.

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Planning for Climate Change Adaptation | US EPA

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There is no 'one-size fits all' approach for communities to anticipate, plan, and adapt to the changing climate. Projected climate impacts are not expected to be the same in every region of the county. Local awareness of climate change vulnerabilities differ. Available resources to assess and adapt, financial and technical, vary.

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Pierce County Climate Change Resilience Plan (2016)

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Pierce County Climate Change Resilience Plan (2016)

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This Climate Change Resilience plan formally starts the process of preparing for the impacts of Climate Change in a manner that should reduce risks to people and minimize financial losses to the County. Preparing for the impacts of Climate Change is the responsible thing to do for the residents of Pierce County.

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EAP + Annual Progress Reports

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In April 2016, the Tacoma City Council adopted Resolution 39427 pledging to provide guidance and investments to meet the target goals for the Plan. This support will help Tacoma respond to climate change and make Tacoma a safer, healthier, and more equitable city for its residents.

View the 2016 Environmental Action Plan (EAP).

EAP Annual Progress Reports

The EAP requires annual performance indicator reports to show what progress has been made and if the city is on track to meet its five-year targets. The Progress Reports below show what progress has been made towards targets, give a status update for each action, and summarize successes.
View the year four Progress Report (2019) View the year three Progress Report (2018)
View the year two Progress Report (2017)

View the year one Progress Report (2016)

Compiling Existing Policies into One, Comprehensive Implementation Plan

Mapping Community Resources

The City is working to provide a more equitable distribution of resources throughout the community of Tacoma. The followings maps display how income and race relates to the distribution of bike and pedestrian collisions, community gardens, and tree canopy.
Community Gardens Map Bicycle and Pedestrian Collisions (2010-2014) Tree Canopy
The Nuts and Bolts of the Environmental Action Plan

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In April 2016, the Tacoma City Council adopted Resolution 39427 pledging to provide guidance and investments to meet the target goals for the Plan. This support will help Tacoma respond to climate change and make Tacoma a safer, healthier, and more equitable city for its residents. View the 2016 Environmental Action Plan (EAP).

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Analyzing Public Climate Change Plans (Matt Czajka)

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Analyzing Public Climate Change Plans (Matt Czajka)

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National, State, County, City, University, Corporate...

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1. Climate Change Plans - Levels of Action

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Climate Action Plan

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The University of Washington's Climate Action Plan calls for UW to reduce emissions 15% below 2005 levels by 2020, and 36% below 2005 levels by 2035. See below for information on progress toward these goals.

Recent Updates

Climate Action Plan Archive

Climate Action Plan Contributors

Click here for a full list of contributors.

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Climate Action Plan Progress and Updates

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The University of Washington's Climate Action Plan calls for UW to reduce emissions 15% below 2005 levels by 2020, and 36% below 2005 levels by 2035. See below for information on progress toward these goals. Click here for a full list of contributors.

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Blackfeet Climate Change Adaptation Plan

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Blackfeet Climate Change Adaptation Plan

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Our future will be different.
We must think ahead.

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Through climate adaptation planning, the Blackfeet Nation leadership is actively seeking to protect our communities and diverse ecosystems from the impacts of a rapidly changing climate. This plan is the result of the unique holistic Blackfeet Nation planning process that includes all parts of tribal government, while respectfully considering traditional values and a collective community vision for our future. Underlying the plan is the Blackfeet understanding that people and nature are one and that people can only be healthy if we ensure the health of the environment we are part of. The process and production of this climate plan has been a timely effort that is informing the Blackfeet Agricultural Resource Management Plan which is being developed concurrently. Both plans will then inform the Integrated Resource Management Plan which will be carried out over the next two years.

Planning Process

The Blackfeet Nation climate adaptation planning process began in 2016, led by Gerald Wagner of the Blackfeet Environmental Office and facilitated by the Center for Large Landscape Conservation. Through these internal and external planning activities, the Blackfeet Nation is deliberately planning for the increasing impacts of climate change and also hopes to share their process and lessons with others struggling to make sense of the impact the changing climate is having on their lives. We hope this effort and the resulting plan will lead the way for communities looking to integrate climate adaptation planning into human health and natural resource management.

The planning process began with a review of climate change trends and predictions which are summarized in a table of the predicted impacts specific to the northwest Montana region (see Appendix A). The climate impact predictions were presented at a series of three informational and planning meetings with eight different resource management sectors: agriculture, culture, forestry, fish, wildlife, land and range, water, and human health. The planning team facilitated discussions with the managers and other experts to identify sector-specific impacts within the Blackfeet Nation. Participants in each sector were guided through a process of identifying sector-specific vulnerabilities, using the Institute for Tribal and Environmental Professional's (ITEP) Vulnerability and Risk Matrices and Identifying Priority Planning Areas tool. From the identified impacts, the project team then worked with managers in each sector, often with in-person follow-up meetings, to create goals, strategies, and actions for climate change adaptation.

See Planning Areas and Scope for a more detailed explanation of the prioritiziation process.

In addition to the planning work being carried out by sectors within the Blackfeet Nation, planning participants attended a variety of regional and national conferences addressing climate adaptation. Gerald Wagner (Blackfeet Environmental Office) and Melly Reuling (Center for Large Landscape Conservation) were invited to present on holistic climate adaptation planning on a plenary panel at the National Adaptation Forum in Minneapolis, Minnesota in April 2017. They also presented at the Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent Annual Conference and at other regional Climate Adaptation Planning meetings supported by ITEP. The Blackfeet Environmental Office, in collaboration with the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, received a Climate Impacts and Health grant from the National Indian Health Board to look at health-related impacts of climate change in January of 2017. This allowed attendance at the National Climate and Health Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in March of 2017.

Summary of Impacts and Priorities by Management Sector

This section provides a brief overview of each planning sector (chapter): the sector's focus, major climate change impacts to the sector, the priority level for adaptation planning, and the major adaptation goals decided through the planning process. (The specific strategies and actions for each sector goal are located in the plan's chapters.)

While climate change is increasing growing season length, day length and photoperiod will remain constant as temperatures rise. Higher temperatures, earlier snowmelt, decreasing summer precipitation and other climate change drivers will negatively impact irrigated land, grain production, livestock production, and pollinators, and these climate change drivers will also increase the probability for fire. The priority for addressing climate change impacts to agriculture is high, as there is both high risk and high vulnerability.

We have eight goals for adapting the agriculture sector to climate change: to 1) promote healthy ecosystems; 2) create an environment where producers can make money; 3) promote specific types of crops based on human nutrition needs; 4) support cropland production in the Blackfeet Nation; 5) support healthy livestock operations; 6) improve land governance; 7) establish monitoring systems for adapting to changes in the environment; and 8) develop a comprehensive emergency management plan that takes agriculture into consideration to help take advantage of federal programs and money.

Climate change is shifting the ranges of plant and wildlife species, including species of cultural importance to the tribe. Climate change is expected to impact traditional lifeways, including hunting, gathering, and fishing. It is also expected to impact ceremonial sites and items that are integral to Blackfeet culture and history (artifacts). The priority for addressing climate change impacts to cultural resources and traditions is high, given there is both high risk and high vulnerability.

All members of the Blackfeet Nation are responsible for protecting and preserving Blackfeet tribal culture and cultural properties, under the guidance of the Blackfeet Tribal Historic Preservation Office. Specific adaptation goals, strategies, and actions are forthcoming.

Warmer temperatures, earlier snowmelt, and decreased stream flow in the late summer months, among other climate change drivers, are negatively impacting fish habitat. Shifts in timing of peak flows, lower flows, higher stream temperatures, and competition from non-native fish are predicted to reduce cutthroat trout and bull trout abundance. Increased frequency and intensity of wildfires will likely increase stream sediment, peak flows, and channel scouring. The priority for planning to protect fish habitat is high given that there is both high risk and high vulnerability.

We have three overarching goals for adapting to climate change impacts to fish habitat: to 1) assess quality and quantity of fish habitat in lakes and streams; 2) ensure healthy habitat for fish and maintain healthy fish populations; and 3) protect recreational fishing opportunities.

As temperatures warm and snow pack decreases, climate change is increasing the risk of fires and may likely result in more frequent fires and fires of greater severity. We determined that the priority for addressing climate change impacts to fire management is high, given there is high risk and medium vulnerability.

We have two main goals for adapting fire management to climate change: to 1) ensure the health and productivity of natural resources in forest and range systems in the face of changing fire regimes; and 2) address wildland-urban interface issues to protect communities from increasing fire risk.

For planning purposes, the human health chapter focuses on air quality and vector-borne diseases, though climate change impacts to human health are much more extensive and varied. Changing weather patterns are increasing the populations and changing the geographical and seasonal distributions of some species that carry viruses and diseases such as mice (Hantavirus), mosquitoes (West Nile virus), and ticks (Lyme disease). Climate change also poses a threat to air quality, as forest fires are expected to increase in frequency and severity. Airborne allergens like tree, grass, and weed pollen, plus indoor and outdoor molds, are expected to increase. Climate change has disproportionate impacts children, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, older adults, people in more vulnerable occupational groups (like people who work outside and emergency response personnel), people who live or work in buildings without air conditioning and ventilation controls, and persons with preexisting chronic medical conditions have more vulnerability to health impacts from climate change. The priority for planning for human health is high, as both risk and vulnerability are high.

We have six overarching goals for adapting to climate change impacts to air quality and vector-borne diseases. We want to 1) increase air quality monitoring; 2) increase monitoring of vectors and vector-borne diseases; 3) increase community awareness of climate-related health risks and adaptation techniques; 4) explore ways to possibly reduce mosquito populations near homes, schools, and places of work; 5) improve air quality in the Blackfeet Nation; and 6) enhance medical service provision for people with medical conditions related to air quality or vector-borne diseases.

The land and range chapter focuses on protecting native grassland vegetation in a changing climate. Changing precipitation patterns are expected to increase the spread of noxious weeds and will impact plant composition in native rangeland, particularly of fescues. The priority for land and range planning is high, given high risk and medium-high vulnerability.

To meet our broader goal of maintaining healthy grasslands by preserving native vegetation species mix and reducing noxious weed invasion, we created seven action steps. The adaptation actions include reexamining and adjusting, if and when necessary, grazing and stocking rates to account for climate change impacts, as well as regulating hay coming into the Blackfeet Nation (i.e. hay must be certified weed free).

Climate change is expected to decrease both water quality and quantity as temperatures increase, snowpack levels decrease, snowpack melts earlier, precipitation patterns change, and late summer stream flows decrease. The priority for addressing climate change impacts to water quality and quantity are high, as risk and vulnerability are both high.

We have three main adaptation goals in the water sector: to 1) reduce the frequency of higher-intensity floods in order to reduce erosion, property damage, and habitat damage or change; 2) assess floodplains to mitigate future property damage, and 3) ensure that downstream users have access to sufficient water flows and water quality.

The wildlife chapter focuses on planning to maintain wildlife populations and habitat and limit impacts of a changing climate. There are two key pathways for wildlife habitat loss in a changing climate: 1) increases in invasive species, and 2) decreased connectivity. Changes in climate are already affecting wildlife habitat in many ways, including influencing insect outbreaks, changing wildfire frequency, intensity, and behavior, and altering water levels in wetlands, streams, and lakes. We determined that the planning priority is medium-high.

We have ten strategies for reaching our goal of maintaining wildlife populations and habitat in the face of changing climactic conditions. We strive to 1) reduce and mitigate human-wildlife conflict; 2) educate and promote an understanding of connectivity, climate change adaptation, and wildlife; 3) understand and maintain the integrity of core habitat areas in the Blackfeet Nation and better protect them; 4) protect ecological connectivity to endure that fauna can adapt to climate change; 5) reassess and establish hunting and fishing limits to align with populations affected by climate change; 6) cooperate with range services to positively impact range habitat for wildlife; 7) coordinate with forestry to implement wildlife-related best management practices; 8) understand population dynamics of a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians in light of stressors including climate change and human disturbance; 9) create action plans for protecting priority species; and 10) build a healthy partnership with the Oil and Gas Department and Blackfeet Forestry (to offer opportunities to comment on management plans between departments and to develop trust and improve inter-departmental communication).

Implementation of this Plan

This plan is meant to be a "living document," intended to be regularly revisited and updated to reflect changes in the tribe's needs and priorities (as illustrated in Figure 1). To be most effective, each sector will monitor and measure progress in implementing adaptive actions and help determine whether actions are enhancing the tribe's overall climate change preparedness. The completed sector chapters are a significant body of work from which to start building resilience to climate change impacts, and they are a base from which to build future project work, research and funding. This plan will inform the tribe's larger planning processes, including the holistic management planning, water resources management planning, agriculture resource management planning, and food security planning processes that are currently underway. This plan will continue to be integrated into all other relevant planning processes in the Blackfeet Nation. Likewise, these planning processes can feed back into future climate change plan updates and revisions.

See Next Steps for more information on the future of the Plan.

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The Blackfeet Climate Change Adaptation Plan

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Through climate adaptation planning, the Blackfeet Nation leadership is actively seeking to protect our communities and diverse ecosystems from the impacts of a rapidly changing climate. This plan is the result of the unique holistic Blackfeet Nation planning process that includes all parts of tribal government, while respectfully considering traditional values and a collective community...

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Puyallup Tribe Declares Climate Emergency

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Puyallup Tribe Declares Climate Emergency

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Goal: Carbon Neutral by 2030

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In January, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella, President Brad Smith, and Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood launched a bold new environmental sustainability initiative focusing on carbon, water, waste and biodiversity. We began this work by announcing one of the most ambitious carbon commitments put forward by any company: Microsoft will be carbon negative by 2030 and remove from the environment more carbon than we have emitted since our founding by 2050. We outlined a detailed plan to get there and committed to providing updates on our progress. We have been working hard to turn our commitments into action and, today, we are announcing seven important new steps on our path to be carbon negative by 2030.

Enabling cross-sector business transformation

Together with eight other corporations leading the way to a climate-stable future, we have launched a new coalition, Transform to Net Zero. Guided by science and transparency, the coalition will work to accelerate business action toward a net zero carbon economy. Once an organization sets sustainability goals, the hard work of transforming its business to meet them begins. We have heard from both those with carbon goals and those that want to engage but don't know where to start that they need information and tools to close the gap between intention and transformation. The coalition will begin by bringing together industry leaders with some of the world's most ambitious carbon goals and will work to create playbooks on how to achieve net zero. The founding members are A.P. Moeller - Maersk, Danone, Mercedes-Benz AG, Microsoft, Natura & Co., Nike, Starbucks, Unilever and Wipro. The Environmental Defense Fund is the founding NGO member and BSR will serve as secretariat.
[Video: Watch Microsoft Inspire, and see our President Brad Smith discuss sustainability and more.]
YouTube Video

Click here to load media

The Transform to Net Zero coalition will focus on moving beyond commitments to business transformation. Working together, members will work to enable all businesses to achieve net zero emissions by: sharing the business transformation each company is undertaking to achieve net zero emissions by 2050; delivering robust emission reductions across the business and value chains; working jointly with our partners across supply chains; innovating and investing at scale in products, services and business models that amplify impact; and engaging with policymakers to incentivize progress toward net zero. Importantly, the coalition will also focus on ensuring that the coming transition to a low-carbon economy is an equitable and just one.

Empowering our customers

Today, we're also announcing the private preview of a new product offering, the Microsoft Sustainability Calculator. It's challenging to make and meet meaningful carbon reduction goals without the ability to measure carbon emissions. The Microsoft Sustainability Calculator provides our cloud customers transparency into their total carbon emissions - Scopes 1, 2 and 3 - resulting from their cloud usage. Microsoft is the only cloud provider to provide full transparency to customers across all three scopes of emissions.

Using AI and advanced analytics, the Microsoft Sustainability Calculator provides actionable insights on how to reduce emissions, the ability to forecast emissions, and simplifies carbon reporting. It uses consistent and accurate carbon accounting to quantify the impact of Microsoft cloud services on your environmental footprint. It calculates how moving additional applications and services to the cloud will help further reduce your emissions. It easily identifies and compiles reports for voluntary or statutory reporting requirements.

Reducing our own carbon emissions

To reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions to near zero, we need to change how we operate. We're on the path to obtaining renewable energy power purchase agreements for 100% of the day-to-day power of our data centers by the middle of this decade. Today, we're additionally announcing that we're aiming to eliminate our dependency on diesel fuel by 2030.

Cloud providers around the world rely on diesel-powered generators for backup power to support continuous data center operations. While diesel fuel accounts for less than 1% of our overall emissions, we believe it's important to help accelerate the global transition away from fossil fuels. We're charting a new course using low-carbon fuel sources, including hydrogen and energy storage. We recognize the challenges this might entail and that we need help in developing a robust supply chain for these fuels and advancements in battery technology, but we're ready to work with partners across the world while leveraging investments from our Climate Innovation Fund to make this a reality.

On July 1, we extended our internal carbon tax to every part of our operations, including Scope 3. Additionally, we've updated our Supplier Code of Conduct. Suppliers will now calculate and report their Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions data. In the upcoming months, we'll be working with our suppliers on a phased approach to develop a timeline, new ideas, tools and processes. This reporting is the first significant step toward helping our suppliers reduce their emissions in alignment with Microsoft's goals of transparency in emissions reductions.

Removing our own carbon emissions

Our climate commitments require us to reduce our carbon emissions by more than half by 2030 and remove the rest, while also removing all of our historical emissions since we were founded in 1975 by 2050. We aren't waiting until 2030 to get started. This fiscal year, Microsoft is taking concrete steps to remove 1 million metric tons of carbon from the environment. As the first step, this week we will issue a groundbreaking request for proposal (RFP) to source that carbon removal from a range of nature- and technology-based solutions that are net negative and verified to a high degree of scientific integrity.

To ensure that our funding will maximize carbon being taken out of the atmosphere, we are doubling down on scientific verification of each project, and using this RFP to harvest and share best available science and market intelligence on carbon removal. Each project will be rigorously vetted and verified by Microsoft as well as our third-party scientific and market advisors, including NGO Winrock International and the advisory firm Carbon Direct, which brings together leading climate science academics.

This is a first-of-its-kind approach and we don't expect to get everything right. We will learn what works and doesn't, improving our approach along the way. We will also publicly share our learnings from this process so others can accelerate their own carbon removal efforts.

Using our balance sheet

We're announcing our first investment from the $1 billion Climate Innovation Fund that Amy Hood announced in January. We will invest $50 million in Energy Impact Partners' (EIP) global platform for innovation of new technologies to transform the world's energy and transportation systems, the two sectors that account for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions. EIP is a leading venture capital firm focused on decarbonized, decentralized energy industry transition that shares learnings among partners and facilitates collaboration.

Investing in climate equity and environmental justice

Our work with Sol Systems is a first-of-its-kind initiative tying the purchasing of renewable energy to environmental justice and equity in under-resourced communities. Putting into action planning that started in December 2019, this partnership will:

Develop a portfolio of 500MW of solar energy projects in the US in under-resourced communities, working with local leaders and prioritizing minority and women-owned businesses

Provide at least $50 million for community-led grants and investments that support educational programs, job and career training, habitat restoration and programs that support access to clean energy and energy efficiency

Focus on communities that are economically under-resourced, disproportionately impacted by pollution and/or lack access to the benefits of the clean energy transition

Ensure that community benefits are realized with accountability measures, including using third-party evaluators to quantify and document social and environmental outcomes of the initiative

As a result of this agreement, Microsoft will be closer to achieving its goals of shifting to 100% renewable energy by 2025 and help address issues of climate equity and environmental justice.

Conclusion

Our mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. This is in line with our belief that "the purpose of business is to produce profitable solutions to the problems of people and planet." That's why we're working every day to address the climate crisis. It is good for the planet and it is good for Microsoft.

We cannot achieve our sustainability ambitions alone - this update reflects an extraordinary amount of hard work and dedication across Microsoft and with customers, partners, NGOs and others around the world. Working together, we can build a more sustainable future.

Tags: carbon emissions, carbon neutral, Environmental Sustainability, sustainability, Transform to Net Zero

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Progress on our goal to be carbon negative by 2030 - Microsoft On the Issues

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In January, Microsoft announced we will be carbon negative by 2030 and remove from the environment more carbon than we have emitted since our founding by 2050. Today, we are announcing seven important new steps on our path to our 2030 goal

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All In: Staying the Course on Our Commitment to Sustainability

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Bold thinking and relentless innovation. That’s what we do at Amazon, and how we approach sustainability is no exception. We’re delivering progress every day.

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U.S. State Climate Action Plans (map with links)

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U.S. State Climate Action Plans (map with links)

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33 states have released/revised or are developing Climate Plans.

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33 states have released a climate action plan or are in the process of revising or developing one. This includes 32 states that have released plans and 1 state that is updating its plan. Climate action plans generally include greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets and detail actions the state can take to help meet those goals. The plans may also include additional components such as resilience strategies, clean energy targets, and economic and social goals. The individual characteristics of each state's economy, resource base, and political structure provide different opportunities for addressing climate change.
Last updated November 2023.

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33 states have released a climate action plan or are in the process of revising or developing one. This includes 32 states that have released plans and 1 state that is updating its plan. Climate action plans generally include greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets and detail actions the state can take to help meet those [...]

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...just for comparison...

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An overview of the advantages of city plans, and some elements that U.S. cities often include.

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At-a-glance

Cities are addressing the causes of climate change through energy and transportation policies focused both on government operation and on community-wide activities.

Cities also are preparing for the impacts of climate change by strengthening their climate resilience.

These actions put cities on the world stage as leaders in the fight against climate change.

According to a 2011 United Nations Habitat report on human settlements, cities globally occupy only 2 percent of planet's land mass but consume two-thirds of the world's energy and account for up to 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. About 82% of the U.S. population resides in urban areas - a number that is projected to grow in the coming years. As the sources of significant emissions and homes to large populations, cities are key to sustainable climate solutions.

In the fight against climate change, cities and counties have become important leaders because of their role as laboratories, incubators, and implementers of climate solutions. Because local governments can be more responsive than those at the state and federal levels, and because and they are so , cities are playing a prominent role on the international stage in galvanizing climate action.

In the United States, local governments are procuring renewable energy and alternative fuel vehicles, and are pioneering energy-saving building codes, transit-oriented development, low-carbon mobility options, and climate resilience measures. Here are some of the key strategies they are pursuing:

Energy Efficiency

Because cities use so much energy, they have great potential for reducing carbon emissions by cutting building energy use. A critical step is to improve the performance of the existing building stock, which presents numerous challenges. From there, cities are enacting tougher standards for new buildings, such as requiring LEED and EnergyStar certification.

City governments strive to set examples for climate action by pursuing energy efficiency in government operations. This has the dual benefits of reducing emissions and saving taxpayer dollars through lower operating costs.

Cities use incentive-based, voluntary, and mandatory policies for improving building performance, including energy disclosure and benchmarking programs. Some local governments are also helping residents and businesses overcome the persistent hurdle of up-front costs by offering Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loans, low-interest loans, grants, and rebates.

Cities and counties have become important climate leaders because of their role as laboratories and incubators for climate solutions.

Low-Carbon Power

Many cities are employing innovative strategies to procure low-carbon energy, including participating in power purchase agreements, green tariffs, and community choice aggregation. Cities also promote the deployment of renewables by piloting demonstration projects, leasing government-owned land for privately-owned installations, and updating regulations to facilitate private investments. When cities are not able to cover their energy needs directly from low-carbon sources, they often purchase renewable energy credits (RECs) from projects elsewhere.

Clean Transportation

Another way cities can reduce emissions and energy use is through transportation policy. With large fleets of government vehicles, taxis, public transportation systems, and dense walkable neighborhoods, the options for getting around are far greater in a city than in the suburbs. Switching government fleets to alternative fuel vehicles like EVs, and encouraging citizens and businesses to do the same, is an emerging area of local climate action.

Climate Goals

To chart a course towards low-carbon communities, many U.S. cities have developed climate action plans and set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. By conducting emissions inventories at regular intervals, cities can monitor their emissions and measure the success of enacted policies. This practice is becoming more common across the globe and allows cities to track their progress towards climate goals and compare their efforts to one another.

City efforts are catching on nationally and worldwide:

More than 350 Climate Mayors in the U.S. have adopted the Paris Agreement goals for their cities. More than 400 U.S. cities are participating in the EV Purchasing Collaborative, and more than 125 cities both large and small have pledged to transition their communities to 100% clean energy.

About two-thirds or more of mayors who responded to a recent survey by C2ES and The U.S. Conference of Mayors said they generate or buy renewable electricity to power city buildings or operations, buy green vehicles for municipal fleets, and have energy efficiency policies for municipal buildings. And they want to partner with the private sector do more.

More than 9,000 cities around the world have joined the Global Covenant of Mayors and have agreed to share, implement, and monitor their climate action plans on a common platform.

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City Climate Policy | Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

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At-a-glance Cities are addressing the causes of climate change through energy and transportation policies focused both on government operation and on community-wide activities. Cities also are preparing for the impacts of climate change by strengthening their climate resilience. These actions put cities on the world stage as leaders in the fight against climate change.

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Case Studies: Climate Threats & Resilience

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Case Studies: Climate Threats & Resilience

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Map + Links

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Communities, businesses, and individuals are taking action to document their vulnerabilities and build resilience to climate-related impacts. Click dots on the map to preview case studies, or browse stories below the map. Use the drop-down menus above to find stories of interest. To expand your results, click the Clear Filters link.

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Climate change is already affecting our communities.

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Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan | Thurston Regional Planning Council, WA

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Thurston County and the cities of Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater are working with the Thurston Regional Planning Council to craft a strategic roadmap for reducing climate polluting greenhouse gases while maintaining-and even improving-our quality of life.

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Puyallup Tribe: Climate Change Impact Assessment and Adaptation Options

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Puyallup Tribe: Climate Change Impact Assessment and Adaptation Options

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"Recovering Better"

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US plan (EPA)

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Thurston county

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Tumwater City Council

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The City of Tumwater has been actively working on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be more energy efficient with our current buildings, equipment, and activities. Several studies, assessments and plans have been approved over the past several years and are listed below.

In 2014, the City Council approved Resolution R2014-008. This resolution accepted the recent greenhouse gas emission survey conducted by the Thurston Climate Action Team (TCAT). It also directed City staff to collaborate with TCAT to develop and implement policies and actions for reducing the Tumwater community's greenhouse gas emissions.

The City is in the process of completing an updated Operational Emission Estimate Report for City operations and facilities, which should be ready in the spring of 2020.

The Cities of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater and Thurston County are working with the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) to develop a regional climate mitigation plan with actions to reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change. The project includes two phases.

Phase 1, which was completed between April and November 2018 entailed assessing each jurisdiction's existing climate policies and targets, identifying mitigation actions each jurisdiction has adopted and/or implemented, adopting a common emissions baseline and target and recommending adoption of an interlocal agreement and scope of work.

The partners concluded Phase 1 by signing the interlocal agreement to work on Phase 2 of the project and each jurisdiction adopted the goal to reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions 45 percent below 2015 levels by 2030 and 85 percent below 2015 levels by 2050. The City Council approved Resolution No. R2018-015 adopting these goals in June 2018.

Phase 2, which includes preparing and adopting the Regional Climate Mitigation Plan made up of regional and local actions undertaken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, began in early 2019 and it will be completed by the fall of 2020.

The mitigation plan complements the Thurston Climate Adaptation Plan that TRPC developed with regional partners and adopted in January 2018. The adaptation plan includes 91 actions to help the region prepare for and adjust to climate impacts.

Link to the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan project site: www.trpc.org/909/Thurston-Climate-Mitigation-Plan

Climate Change Plans and Documents

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The City of Tumwater has been actively working on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be more energy efficient with our current buildings, equipment, and activities. Several studies, assessments and plans have been approved over the past several years.

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