Climate and Sustainability Planning

  • Climate Action Chicago is a powerpoint presentation that outlines the City of Chicago's process of climate action planning.
  • Michigan Green Communities Challenge - Through this program, local governments demonstrate their commitment to adopt policies and programs of energy efficiency and conservation. A sample resolution as well as possible recommended actions are available at the website. The program was created by the Michigan Municipal League and the State of Michigan's Bureau of Energy Systems, who can provide resources and technical assistance.
  • Sustainability Cities Institute Planning Center - The Sustainable Cities Institute Planning Center includes checklists, calculators and forms where you can navigate through technical silos including Economic Development, Water, Materials Management, Land Use and Transportation; as well as through classrooms, communication labs, a planning center and a library. In addition, there are forums, webinars, a calendar, City Profiles and an interactive “Sustainable City” map.
  • Sustainability Climate Plans USA - is a linked list, published by ICLEI, of Sustainability and Climate Action Plans created by local government though out the United States.
  • http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/ - outlines EPA's State and Local Climate and Energy Program, which provides technical assistance, analytical tools, and outreach support to state, local, and tribal governments.
  • 2008 Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan - is the City of Pittsburgh's comprehensive Climate Action Plan, published by a consortium of governmental and non-governmental organizations. It outlines and prioritizes concrete steps that the local government and community can take to implement a city wide carbon reduction strategy.
  • Clean Air Cool Planet Community Toolkit - assists local communities in implementing climate action planning by providing step-by-step project guides, contacts, financing mechanisms, cost implications, and model ordinances.
  • Energy Action Planning Fact Sheet - A fact sheet by WARM Training Center.
  • Energy Efficiency Development - is an excerpted chapter from Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques, a guide published by a coalition of governmental organizations in New Hampshire. It outlines specific, innovative municipal ordinance and building code examples that local governments can implement to reduce the energy and carbon footprint from future development activities.
  • ICLEI's Sustainability Planning Toolkit - contains comprehensive, step-by-step guidance to develop a sustainability plan for cities, towns, and counties of all sizes. Numerous print resources, as well as greenhouse gas calculators are available on the ICLEI webpage. However, the full toolkit is available only to ICLEI member local governments.
  • NH Handbook Energy Efficiency Vol. 1 - is an excellent, short, and well written guidebook for smaller local towns and cities that outlines the required steps of a climate action planning process. There are numerous tips, resources, and links throughout the document that point to additional resources.
  • NH Handbook Energy Efficiency Vol. 2 - is a revised and improved guidebook for small municipalities embarking on a climate action planning process with tips ranging from setting goals, benchmarking, to finding an energy auditor.
  • The Small Town Carbon Calculator - is a simple Excel based calculator application that can help smaller municipalities understand their carbon emission and energy use. Developed by Clean Air, Cool Planet and University of New Hampshire.
  • The US Mayors' Climate Agreement Climate Protection Handbook is a comprehensive climate planning guidebook developed by ICLEI, the City of Seattle, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. This guidebook outlines policies, actions and resources, and best practices that local government leaders can implement in their own planning process in their community to help save energy consumptions and reduce GHG emissions on a local level. It was written in response to the commitment made by nearly 300 mayors to reduce emissions from their cities in the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

Lindsay Baxter, Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Pittsburgh, presented on the climate action planning that the City of Pittsburgh went through. Her presentation and video are available below:

PowerPoint Presentation on Climate Action Planning

Climate Action Planning Worksheet