Local Climate Action Planning

This is the first book designed to help planners, municipal staff and officials, citizens and others working at local levels to develop Climate Action Plans (CAPs). CAPs are strategic plans that establish policies and programmes for mitigating a community's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. They typically focus on transportation, energy use, and solid waste. CAPs are usually based on GHG emissions inventories, which identify the sources of emissions from the community and quantify amounts. CAPs may also address adaptation - how the community will respond to the local impacts of climate change, such as increased flooding, extended drought, or sea level rise. With examples drawn from actual plans, "Local Climate Action Planning" guides preparers of CAPs through the entire plan development process, identifying the key considerations and choices that must be made in order to assure that a plan is both workable and effective.