LOCAL CLIMATE POLICY RESOURCES

Transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas pollution in the United States. Local policies, particularly around development, land use, and street design, can have a major impact on transportation emissions in a community. 

While the electric sector has made major strides towards renewables, the generation of electricity is still one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas pollution. Local governments have a role to play in the transition to clean electricity — particularly when they own or control their community’s electricity provider.

Buildings are a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions and are typically highly regulated at the local level. Newly constructed buildings should be nearly or completely fossil-free, and existing buildings need to be decarbonized in the coming years.

Decarbonizing an entire community requires dozens if not hundreds of policy reforms, as well as robust participation from businesses and residents. To achieve such a major transformation, it is critical to have a framework in place to help drive these actions forward.

Local governments have a substantial ability to regulate how land is developed and used, primarily through zoning policies that determine what uses are allowed or disallowed in what areas. These policies are critical for ensuring that new development is sustainable, and for phasing out uses that are accelerating the climate crisis, such as fossil fuel extraction and refinement.

As we work to eliminate fossil fuel use and achieve net negative greenhouse gas emissions, we also need to prepare for the impacts of the climate crisis that can’t be avoided. Local governments must prepare for the impacts of the climate crisis by implementing strategies to become more resilient to anticipated changes, build infrastructure that plans for projected local impacts of climate change, and ensure appropriate systems are in place to keep residents safe during extreme weather events. 

Nature-based solutions to climate change, sometimes called “natural climate solutions,” involve all activities related to conserving, restoring, or better managing ecosystems. These ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by acting as significant carbon dioxide sinks – extracting it from the atmosphere and storing it within plants, soils, and sediments. 

A significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions result from food production, cultivation, packaging, transportation, refrigeration, cooking, consumption and disposal. Municipal policies and programs can lower these emissions while improving the overall sustainability of the food systems that all community members depend on.