The county’s new Climate Action Plan released yesterday by County Executive Marc Elrich focuses on seven broad areas where the county will work to meet its goal reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2027, and by 100% by 2035 compared to 2005 levels.
The areas include:
- Reducing emissions in the energy, buildings and transportation sectors by investing in clean energy, implementing code requirements related to energy efficiency, expanding public transit and other actions
- Centering racial equity and social justice by considering the racial equity and social justice implications of each climate action
- Addressing residual emissions and carbon sequestration with nature-based carbon sequestration actions including retaining, managing and expanding forests, wetlands, grasslands and urban tree canopy
- Reducing climate risk through improved community and infrastructure assets such as storm water management system, green streetscapes and infrastructure standards and other actions
- Identifying ways to pay for climate action
- Enhancing climate governance in county decision-making and processes, and
- Engaging the community as partners in climate action.
“Throughout the summer and into the early fall, the county’s climate team plans to host community conversations to present the plan to residents, businesses and property owners,” according to a press release.
The county also released a climate work plan for fiscal year 2022. The plan includes specific steps the county intends to take during the year to address 75 of the 86 actions recommended in the Climate Action Plan.
They include steps for each of eight areas:
- Clean energy
- Buildings
- Transportation
- Sequestration
- Adaptation
- Governance
- Public engagement, partnerships and education, and
- Economic development.
In addition, the work plan addresses budgeting, racial equity and social justice issues, as well as a legislative and policy agenda for the county, state and federal governments.
Additional details, including six appendices to the action plan and links to community feedback during the plan’s development, are available on the climate home page.
Montgomery County graphic