Climate action planning encompasses the broad range of public, organizational and business plans, policies and formal agreements that aim to keep the emissions of green house gases (GHG's) low enough to stop further human induced climate change and its impacts. It is the effort to act upon the existing science and emerging solutions with policies that enable rather than impede the fundamental changes in our ways of doing things that produce the outcomes we so urgently need.
Climate action plans are enacted at the international, national, state, local or organizational level, as well as by organizations, associations, and businesses. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, for example, has developed their own climate action plan as a roadmap for individuals and Meetings, and can be reviewed here. The Unity with Nature Committee is working to develop a climate action framework to support discernment and action by Friends and Meetings in Pacific Yearly Meeting.
There are various kinds of strategic climate action plans. Mitigation plans focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and were among the first climate plan to emerge. Adaptation plans center on building resilience to the effects of climate change on local infrastructure and services, public health, the economy, and natural resources. Sustainability plans integrate mitigation and adaptation planning with more comprehensive environmental protection and include general community planning, housing, transportation, and green job creation.
The United Nations Nations is deeply involved with both the climate science and and proposed solutions. to advance scientific knowledge about climate change. They established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to objectively examine and distill relevant and emerging scientific literature as it relates to global climate change mitigation progress and recommended actions. As such, the IPCC reports represent the consensus of the world's scientists and experts as to global assessment of climate change mitigation progress and pledges. You may access the most recent IPCC report and other UN climate reports here. The Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) is the annual gathering of 198 nations who are parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The COP is where nations agree on international climate goals with pledges to meet specific greenhouse gas reduction benchmarks in their own countries.
Many (if not most) of the climate action strategies developed at the national and local levels around the world begin with information from the IPCC and agreements made at the COP. Local governments play a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and preparing their communities for projected climate change impacts, as they are best able to identify local climate risks, identify opportunities to reduce GHG emissions and engage community members, faith communities, civic and private sector leaders to identify priorities.
You can impact climate policy in your area. Friends who are interested and able to engage in their local climate action planning have an important opportunity to ensure that such plans are equitable and do not exacerbate existing inequalities faced by economically challenged communities that are often disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and polluting industries.
Climate action plans are enacted at the international, national, state, local or organizational level, as well as by organizations, associations, and businesses. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, for example, has developed their own climate action plan as a roadmap for individuals and Meetings, and can be reviewed here. The Unity with Nature Committee is working to develop a climate action framework to support discernment and action by Friends and Meetings in Pacific Yearly Meeting.
There are various kinds of strategic climate action plans. Mitigation plans focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and were among the first climate plan to emerge. Adaptation plans center on building resilience to the effects of climate change on local infrastructure and services, public health, the economy, and natural resources. Sustainability plans integrate mitigation and adaptation planning with more comprehensive environmental protection and include general community planning, housing, transportation, and green job creation.
The United Nations Nations is deeply involved with both the climate science and and proposed solutions. to advance scientific knowledge about climate change. They established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to objectively examine and distill relevant and emerging scientific literature as it relates to global climate change mitigation progress and recommended actions. As such, the IPCC reports represent the consensus of the world's scientists and experts as to global assessment of climate change mitigation progress and pledges. You may access the most recent IPCC report and other UN climate reports here. The Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) is the annual gathering of 198 nations who are parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The COP is where nations agree on international climate goals with pledges to meet specific greenhouse gas reduction benchmarks in their own countries.
Many (if not most) of the climate action strategies developed at the national and local levels around the world begin with information from the IPCC and agreements made at the COP. Local governments play a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and preparing their communities for projected climate change impacts, as they are best able to identify local climate risks, identify opportunities to reduce GHG emissions and engage community members, faith communities, civic and private sector leaders to identify priorities.
You can impact climate policy in your area. Friends who are interested and able to engage in their local climate action planning have an important opportunity to ensure that such plans are equitable and do not exacerbate existing inequalities faced by economically challenged communities that are often disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and polluting industries.
Queries
Do you know what your city, county, or state's climate action plan looks like?
Do you know if your locality has one, or is in the process of creating one?
Is there a role for citizens in creating or implementing it? Are you led to engage in this citizen participation process?
Do you know what your city, county, or state's climate action plan looks like?
Do you know if your locality has one, or is in the process of creating one?
Is there a role for citizens in creating or implementing it? Are you led to engage in this citizen participation process?
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) Scoping Plan for Achieving Carbon Neutrality was approved in December 2022.
See the whole plan here. You can also read comments submitted by Friend Muriel Strand, whose activism in this citizen participation process models an important means of civic engagement. The CARB plan for a state which represents the fourth largest economy in the world was described in the state's official press release as being "unprecedented in scale and scope, representing the most aggressive approach to reach carbon neutrality by any jurisdiction in the world." See what other states across the United states have Climate Action Plans here. |
The City of Santa Cruz is an example of a locality with a progressive climate action plan and citizen participation process, including a citizen's task force to review implementation and progress toward climate goals. See a summary of the Santa Cruz Plan and the full 161 page plan. Does your local government have a climate action plan? Find out by googling your city or county name and the words "climate action plan." There is almost certainly a citizen participation component of the plan, and if you are led to do so, you can get involved to ensure that your area's climate plan is just and does not exacerbate existing inequalities.
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