Developing a regional Comprehensive Climate Action Plan
The regional Comprehensive Climate Action Plan is a roadmap for reducing climate pollution in the Twin Cities region. The Metropolitan Council led the plan development with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant.
The Comprehensive Climate Action Plan charts the path to cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with state goals: 50% reduction below 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Comprehensive Climate Action Plan includes the following required components:
- Updates and expansions of items in the priority plan
- GHG emissions projections
- Regional GHG targets
- Community engagement findings
- Workforce planning analysis
- Identification of potential funding sources for strategies
The Comprehensive Climate Action Plan provides data, goals, and strategies that local governments and partners can use to accelerate action across all sectors of regional emissions, helping communities plan for climate change while improving health, equity, economic opportunity, and more. The work behind the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan will support the development of technical assistance tools for climate planning in the region.
The Comprehensive Climate Action Plan provides data, goals, and strategies that local governments and partners can use to accelerate action across all sectors of regional emissions, helping communities plan for climate change while improving health, equity, economic opportunity, and more. The work behind the CCAP will support the development of technical assistance tools for climate planning in the region.
Planning begins in community
Through the Community Climate Collaboration, the Met Council partnered with community members across an 11-county metro region to better understand climate actions and prioritize strategies to reduce emissions. The Collaboration aimed to reach communities whose voices historically have not been included in planning processes and who often bear the burden of the impacts of climate change. The engagement also focuses on youth who will inherit the region and its climate.
Organizations taking part in the Community Climate Collaboration included: Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth, COPAL, Hope for Earth, Hmong American Farmers Association, Islamic Center of Minnesota, Karen Organization of Minnesota, Minnesota 4-H, and Park Plaza Cooperative.
Committees and Advisory Groups
In addition to engaging with community organizations, the Met Council collaborated with partners across the region to develop the climate action plan.
Climate Pollution Reduction Grant steering committee is comprised of city, county, and tribal staff from around the 11-county region. This committee guided the plan development and stakeholder engagement. Members include: City of Bloomington, City of Carver, Chisago County, City of Coon Rapids, Dakota County, City of Eagan, Hennepin County, City of Mahtomedi, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, City of Minneapolis, Saint Croix County, City of Saint Paul, City of Savage.
A workforce Work Group was comprised of public, non-profit, and private sector organizations. This work group advised the workforce analysis for the regional climate action plan.