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Climate Resilience and Adaptation
Climate Resilience and Adaptation
Rising global temperatures are changing our land, water, and atmosphere, which creates an increasing risk to our livelihood. Communities not only have to be prepare for these changes, but also build the capacity to quickly bounce back from an adverse event.
The following provides tangible actions catalyst communities can take to enable a just transition to decarbonization as it pertains to climate resilience and adaptation, and coincides with Michigan Green Communities. Relevant resources, webinars, and community examples accompany each action below.
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Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
Inventory municipal and community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, noting your achievements and areas for improvement. A municipal GHG emissions inventory tracks the GHG emissions resulting from the day-to-day operations of a local government. This includes the GHG emissions from energy and material consumption in government buildings, wastewater and water treatment, the municipal vehicle fleet, and government-owned outdoor lighting, among others. A community-wide GHG emissions inventory tracks the GHG emissions resulting from the community's operations. This includes the GHG emissions from energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings, transportation fuels, waste disposal, and other sources within a given geographic boundary.
Resources:
- Greenhouse Gas Protocols
- GHG Protocol for Cities
- Local GHG Inventory Tool
- Climate Neutrality Framework
Webinars & Workshops:
- Create the Pathway Towards Emissions Reduction: How to Build a Carbon Inventory - Recording temporarily unavailable
- Greenhouse Gas Inventory Training
Community Examples:
- City of Ypsilanti GHG Assessment
- City of Ann Arbor Community GHG Inventory
- City of Royal Oak Greenhouse Gas Inventory
- Local Government Climate and Energy Goals
- City of Lansing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
- Harnessing GHG Inventories for Local Sustainability Initiatives in the City of Grand Haven and the City of Rockford
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Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Planning
Understand how climate change will likely impact your community and implement projects to adapt and prepare. Climate change can affect varying assets, systems, operations, and community members differently. As such, a climate vulnerability assessment should be performed to reveal community-specific vulnerabilities and risks. Subsequently, a climate adaptation plan should be developed to outline a vision and set of strategies to improve the community's resilience to climate change based on the local, physical, economic, and social vulnerabilities identified in the climate vulnerability assessment. During the planning process, local governments should work with residents and local groups to establish a shared vision of a resilient future and define specific local climate adaptation strategies to best reduce adverse impacts.
Resources:
- Leading by Example: Tools and Resources for City Adaptation
- Sustainable Development Code Chapter 1.1: Climate Change
- Tools for Climate Change Adaptation
- Social Vulnerability Index Maps
- Resources for Adapting
- Climate and Health Adaptation Planning Guide for Communities
- Climate Resilience Toolkit
- Regional Resilience Toolkit
- How To Make Cities More Resilient: A Handbook For Local Government Leaders
- Roadmap to Resilience
- Coastal Resilience Toolkit
- Michigan's Resilient Coast
- Resilience Hubs
- Resilience Metrics
- Climate Hazard and Mitigation Planning Tool
- Resilient Coastal Communities
- Sustainable Communities Suite
- Climate Change Policy Guide
- APA Michigan Chapter: Climate Change in Michigan Resources
Webinars & Workshops:
- Lessons Learned in Creating a Municipal Climate Action Plan - Recording temporarily unavailable
- Climate Change Response Framework's Training and Workshops
- Redevelopment Ready Communities Resiliency Toolkit Webinar
- Climate and Weather Tools for Stormwater Planning in the Great Lakes Region
- Libraries as Climate Resilience Hubs: Working with Your Community to Take Action
Community Examples:
- How Might the City of Grand Rapids Equitable Pursue Climate Vulnerability Engagement?
- Climate Change Mitigation: Recommendations for the City of Grand Rapids
- City of Royal Oak Sustainability and Climate Action Plan
- City of Ferndale Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Stormwater
- Marquette County Climate Adaptation Plan
- City of Detroit Climate Action Plan
- Resilient Washtenaw
- City of Southfield Sustainable Business Practices
- City of Lansing Climate Action Plan
- City of Marquette Resiliency Assessment
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Hazard Mitigation
Understand how natural or manufactured hazards could affect your community and develop a plan to respond to hazards while taking steps to mitigate the effects of hazards now. A hazard mitigation plan can help identify risks and create long-term strategies to protect your community. Plans should include extreme heat events, flooding, droughts, wildfires, etc.
Resources:
- FEMA Hazard Mitigation Planning
- Local Mitigation Planning Handbook
- National Risk Index
- Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide
- Best Practices in Local Mitigation Planning
- Heat Response Plans: Summary of Evidence and Strategies for Collaboration and Implementation
- Center for Watershed Protection
- Natural Hazard Mitigation Association
- Falling Dominoes: A Planner’s Guide to Drought and Cascading Impacts
- Multi-hazard Planning Framework for Communities in the Wildland-Urban Interface
- FloodWise Communities
- Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper
- Hazard Mitigation Policy Guide
- Sustainable Development Code: Chapter 2.5 Hazard Mitigation and Resiliency
Webinars & Workshops:
Community Examples:
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Green Buildings
Strive to lessen the impact of municipal operations on the local environment. Construction of new municipal buildings or the major renovation of existing buildings present an opportunity for municipalities to design or redesign with energy efficiency and conservation in mind, and go beyond the Michigan Energy Code. An improved building standard for municipal new construction and/or major renovations will reduce a municipality’s carbon footprint, and demonstrate leadership by example to the rest of the community.
Resources:
- LEED Rating System
- Energy Star Certification for Buildings
- ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines
- Achieving Zero
- Living Building Challenge
- Equity and Buildings: A Practice Framework for Local Government
Webinars & Workshops:
- The Michigan Energy Code Adoption Process
- On-Demand Better Buildings Webinars: States and Local Governments
Community Examples: