Climate Action Plan

The Earth’s temperature is rising because people are adding heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere, mainly by burning fossil fuels. These gases are called greenhouse gases (GHGs).

Vehicles driven, entertainment choices, foods eaten, business travel, products purchased… each of these everyday activities contributes to the 6.82 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) that Americans emit each year. Warmer temperatures are causing other changes around the world, such as melting glaciers and stronger storms. These changes are happening because the Earth’s air, water, and land are all linked to climate.

Experts predict Ohio in particular will experience hotter summers, stronger storms, increased flooding, threats to agriculture, and a reduction in Lake Erie water levels. The implications for local natural, social, and business environments are compelling reasons for change.

The City of Cleveland is leading a community process to create a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to not only reduce GHG emissions, but also plan for changes in the climate that will affect Clevelanders. The CAP will include inventories of GHG emissions for City government operations as well as Cleveland as a whole. The CAP is scheduled to be complete in July 2013.

This CAP is crucial to implementing our vision of making Cleveland a more sustainable community. The CAP will build upon many other related initiatives and achievements, including the SC2019 Action and Resources Guide that was released at the 2nd Annual Summit in 2010. It will be built both top down − identifying from a technology standpoint what is feasible and affordable − and bottom up − including those issues and ways of using and managing energy that are most relevant to the residents and businesses of Cleveland. As a result, the community engagement process is not merely meant to inform the City’s businesses and residents about the project, but to engage everyone in the decision making process from the early planning stages.

Resources

Glossary of Climate Change Terms
Join the conversation on The Civic Commons

Public Outreach Meeting – April 11, 2013

Public Outreach Meeting Handout
Public Engagement Stations
Powerpoint Presentation

[Show as slideshow]