This session will showcase local climate planning processes and overview tools and strategies for communities to advance climate mitigation, resilience, and adaptation. Presenters will share success stories of effective climate solutions from across the country, highlighting work that centers equity and climate justice.
The session will outline several approaches to local climate action. The primary researcher for Minnesota’s Regional Indicators Initiative will share findings from over a decade of greenhouse gas emissions data for dozens of Minnesota cities - both modeling an approach for understanding existing conditions and identifying high-impact mitigation strategies with immediate scalability across the country.
The clean energy manager for a global climate non-profit will delve into the varied regulatory frameworks that impact local action, including land use conflicts and community impacts, discussion on community designation as disadvantaged, and implications of strategies on energy and climate justice.
Additionally, the host of podcast City Climate Corner will share stories of leading communities that are applying these tools in practice and innovating the local planning space.
Ideal for planners looking to focus their efforts on high-impact strategies, session attendees will come away able to immediately apply lessons learned to accelerate climate action in their geography of practice.
Understand how tracking community-wide key performance indicators helps a community define a baseline for greenhouse gas emissions, estimate a business-as-usual trajectory, and chart a pathway to meeting science-based targets.
Understand the breadth of climate actions and strategies available to communities within their spheres of influence, considerate of external influence like regulatory context and jurisdictional authority.
Describe through examples, case studies for effective, inclusive and equitable climate action planning and implementation at the city, county, or regional scale.
