Mitigation
Issue Summary
U.S. EPA
Other Federal Agencies
Organizations/Non-Government Programs
Publications
Databases and Tools
Issue Summary
Climate change is caused by the accumulation
of heat-trapping substances, known as greenhouse gases (GHGs), in Earth's
atmosphere. Though many localities are already experiencing the impacts of
climate change, experts
agree that future adverse effects, including sea level rise, flooding, coastal
erosion, drought, heat waves, wildfires and more frequent and severe extreme
weather events, can still be reduced or averted by prompt, decisive action.
Mitigation refers to measures that help to
prevent climate change by limiting GHG emissions. Local governments can reduce
their communities' emissions using a wide range of strategies, influencing
activities such as energy production, energy management, the built environment,
government operations, transportation, water, wastewater and solid waste
management.
For information on climate adaptation, please
visit our Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience page.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
The
president issued executive orders addressing national climate change
mitigation actions, including rejoining the Paris Climate Accords. Some of
these call for implementation through federal actions and funding decisions
that may affect local governments.
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U.S. EPA
EPA Climate Change Home Page.
Central hub for EPA
climate change resources including reports, greenhouse gas emissions datasets,
guidance documents and links to related programs from other federal agencies.
EPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions
and Removal Center.
Compendium of EPA greenhouse gas datasets and tracking tools. Provides
information for individual, facility, national and global level emissions.
EPA
Local Climate and
Energy Program.
Resources to help local governments reduce air emissions with cost-effective
energy strategies and achieve co-benefits such as improving air quality, lowering
energy costs, supporting local economic development, improving public health
and increasing energy system reliability.
EPA
Benchmarking and Building Performance Standards Policy Toolkit. Toolkit for local
decision-makers seeking to reduce energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions
from commercial and multifamily buildings. Provides guidance on creating
performance standards, monitoring progress and collaborating with state
officials.
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Other Federal
Agencies/Programs
Department
of Energy (DOE) Government Energy Management. Resource compendium featuring
technical assistance, financing opportunities, case studies and guidance
documents for local and Tribal governments to improve energy planning and
efficiency.
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Guide
to Community Energy Strategic Planning. A 10-step approach for creating a
community
energy plan, including identifying and engaging stakeholders, assessing your
locality's current energy profile, developing and implementing goals and
evaluating outcomes.
U.S. Energy Information
Administration (EIA). Provides frequently updated datasets and visualizations relevant
to current trends in American
energy consumption and its impacts on climate change.
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EIA Data Tools, Apps and Maps
Library. Easy-to-use
interactive online data dashboards providing insights on energy usage and
infrastructure. Includes 33 different tools including dedicated apps for coal,
natural gas and renewable energy information.
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Organizations/Non-Government Programs
C40 Research, Measurement
and Planning. A collection of key reports, guidance
documents and databases from C40 and other organizations that focus on
preparing cities to assess current trends and emissions levels to create
tailored mitigation plans.
CDP Disclosure Insight Action Cities Portal. Not-for-profit environmental reporting organization that operates a global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to better manage their environmental impacts. Provides tools for municipal governments looking to reduce their carbon emissions and keep better track of other environmental metrics, including an open data portal and case-study database on n climate-related risks and opportunities, emissions, mitigation, adaptation, energy and water in cities around the globe.
Center for
Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). Successor
to the Pew Center for Global Climate Change. Conducts research, gathers data, convenes
events and produces reports to improve cooperation between local, state and
federal government as well as their counterparts in business and industry on
climate policy.
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C2ES
City and Local Publications Library. Provides links to all
C2ES publications aimed at local governments, including reports from the C2ES
Mayors/Business Alliance for a Sustainable Future, which brings together local
officials and business leaders to act on climate change.
International Council
for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). Global network of local governments
and related stakeholders. Provides publications, webinars, toolkits and other
guidance documents focused on local climate action. Offers member cities
opportunities for peer-to-peer learning exchange.
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ICLEI Clearpath. Interactive
software available to paying members of ICLEI. Provides
assistance to local governments seeking to complete greenhouse gas inventories,
forecasts, climate action plans and monitoring for both their government
operations and community as a whole.
Georgetown
Climate Center. An initiative of Georgetown Law School dedicated to creating and
accumulating resources for local, state and federal climate action. Includes
links to climate change databases, guidance documents, policy briefs and
toolkits for both mitigation and adaptation.
Sabin Center for
Climate Change Law. An initiative of Columbia Law School
focused on tracking progress and providing guidance on climate change law.
Includes databases relating to climate litigation, international climate
regulation and climate attribution as well as model laws for decarbonization
efforts.
Legal Pathways to
Deep Decarbonization. Network drafting model laws to assist local
governments in adopting new approaches to reduce GHG emissions.
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Publications
Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report. United Nations report synthesizing
over 14,000 studies to provide a globally informed, up-to-date overview of the
current state of climate change, its expected consequences and necessary
actions for future mitigation and adaptation.
Global
Greenhouse Gas Protocol for Cities. Three-part guidance
document that introduces and explains globally accepted greenhouse gas reporting
and accounting principles, provides sector-specific accounting guidance and
explains how inventories can be used to craft a local mitigation plan. Includes
a sample reporting template.
ICLEI U.S. Community Protocol
for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Folder of seven key
documents providing technical guidance, methodologies and best practices for
taking local greenhouse gas inventories. Includes a core guidance document,
several detailed appendices and a Scoping and Reporting Tool. Free download
requires users to enter basic demographic information.
Toolkit
for Incorporating Food Waste in Municipal Climate Action Plans. Provides
municipalities with model provisions for incorporating food waste management
measures into local climate action plans. Offers a menu of policy options
focused on preventing food waste, rescuing surplus food and recycling food
scraps (Environmental Law Institute).
Water's Net Zero Plus. U.S. Water Alliance report focusing on the water sector's contributions to climate change. Provides a broad framework for cutting emissions from water sector activities while advancing environmental justice for communities.
A Guide to Regional Decarbonization. This report, published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), provides guidance materials and best practices for longterm decarbonization planning at a regional level. It presents the County of San Diego as a case study for how other jurisdictions can plan and implement their own decarbonization plans.
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Databases and Tools
EPA Facility Level Information
on Greenhouse Gases Tool (FLIGHT). Interactive database of information
gathered from large facilities required to report emissions as part of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting
Program (GHGRP).
Allows users to view emissions data by state, facility and type of fuel or
greenhouse gas.
DOE
State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) Tool.
Interactive data dashboard integrating information on energy efficiency,
renewable energy, sustainable transportation and their associated
cost-effectiveness. Assists decision-makers to find financially viable options
for meeting clean energy goals.
Climate Change State Resource Locator. Interactive map with links to environmental compliance resources developed by local governments. It also includes climate mitigation plans developed by state agencies.
State Climate Policy Map - Climate-XChange. Interactive map and dashboard that provides information about the climate policies adopted and implemented across all 50 states.
The Climate Action Prioritization (CLIMACT Prio) Tool. Tool intended to guide city planners through collecting and analyzing data to prioritize potential climate mitigation actions according to both GHG impact and stakeholder priorities. It was created and distributed by researchers at the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Local and Tribal Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Tool. Tool to help local governments evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their municipal operations, providing a baseline for tracking emission trends, developing targeted mitigation strategies and assessing progress.
Equity and Mitigation Planning Tool. FEMA database of resources to help planners and decision makers make mitigation plans that best engage vulnerable communities and incorporate equity.
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