Climate Planning Resources
Climate Planning Resources
Climate Resolve recommends the following guidance for municipalities in their development of climate preparedness planning documents.
Icons denote resource guidance for the following:
Funding
Hazard Mitigation Planning
Policy Tracking
SB 379 (Climate Adaptation and Resiliency)
SB 1000 (Environmental Justice), Equity, & Vulnerable Communities
Southern California Guidance
Southern California Regional Association of Governments (SCAG) Green Region Initiative Sustainability Indicators Maps are designed to be a tool for jurisdictions within the SCAG region to measure and track sustainability progress across 12 categories (Active Transportation, Adaptation, Built Environment, Climate Action, Energy, Engagement, Health, Motorized Transportation, Open Space, Urban Greening, Waste, and Water). The maps contain SB 535 Disadvantaged Communities overlays, detailed descriptions, and resources relevant to the 28 individual indicators.
Gateway Cities Council of Government (COG) Climate Action Planning Framework is intended to help individual communities advance their goals for economic development, public health, air quality, climate resiliency, equity, and job creation while planning for the impacts of climate change. The Framework includes greenhouse gas emissions data for many of the COG cities, toolkits for climate change adaptation and public engagement, and guidance for climate action plans, as well as for CEQA and implementation funding.
Regional Climate Adaptation Framework by SCAG assists local and regional jurisdictions in managing the negative impacts of climate change. As a part of the framework, SCAG developed the Southern California Climate Adaptation Planning Guide as a resource for local planning that describes the range of climate change hazards the SCAG region is likely to face in the coming decades. It also describes adaptation principles geared to the region, and outlines a general process of adaptation planning that can be applied by any agency.
State Guidance
California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research General Plan Guidelines serves as the “how to” resource for drafting a municipality’s blueprint for development and vision for the future, including how to address climate change. The Guidelines provide resources to comply with SB 379, which requires all cities and counties in California to incorporate climate adaptation and resiliency into the general plan safety element, or in another related planning document, such as a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, by January 1, 2022. Additionally, the Guidelines provide principles for complying with SB 1000, a requirement to incorporate environmental justice into the general plan that can overlap with SB 379 and ensure that communities vulnerable to climate change are safeguarded.
California’s Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (ICARP) is designed to be a cohesive and coordinated response to the impacts of climate change across State, local, and regional levels. A primary component of the Program is the State Adaptation Clearinghouse (ResilientCA.org) which serves as a centralized source of information and resources to assist decision-makers at the State, tribal, regional, and local levels when planning for and implementing climate adaptation and resiliency efforts across California. ICARP host the Adaptation Planning Guide (APG) in the Clearinghouse to provide helpful tools, describe various types of plans and processes, and explains how to integrate adaptation efforts across sectors and jurisdictions. The ICARP Technical Advisory Council also helped create the resource guide, “Defining Vulnerable Communities In The Context Of Climate Adaptation” to guide equity discussions in climate planning.
The Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation (ARCCA) represents leading collaborative networks from across California that strive to build regional resilience to climate impacts. ARCCA tracks California climate policy throughout the legislative session, hosts frequent learning sessions with California leaders, manages a robust resiliency listserv, and provides relevant toolkits on fostering regional collaboration.
Federal Guidance
Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) Local Mitigation Planning Handbook is the official guide for local governments to develop, update and implement local mitigation plans. The Handbook provides guidance to local governments on developing or updating hazard mitigation plans to meet the requirements for FEMA approval and eligibility to apply for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs. The Handbook also offers practical approaches, tools, worksheets, and local mitigation planning examples for how communities can engage in effective planning to reduce long-term risk from natural hazards and disasters.
Equity Guidance
Urban Sustainability Directors Network and Raimi + Associate’s Guide to Equitable Community-Driven Climate Preparedness Planning is a planning guide meant to assist local governments and organizations to design and implement more inclusive and equitable planning processes.
The Movement Strategy Center’s Community-Driven Climate Resilience Planning: A Framework outlines the principles, practices and vital roles community organizations and residents can create that target their unique assets and threats.
Asian Pacific Environmental Network’s Mapping Resilience Report includes background on communities disproportionately impacted by climate change-related disasters in California; information on key existing indicators, data, tools, and analytical frameworks for understanding the intersection of climate impacts, health and well-being outcomes, socioeconomic vulnerability, and adaptive capacity factors; lessons learned and major data limitations and knowledge gaps; and anticipated uses of indicators to advance key fields and policies, as well as opportunities for working with other nonprofits, academic institutions, and public agencies to advance the development and effective use of useful indicators.
Other Planning Guidance
Ready-to-Fund Resilience Toolkit was created through a partnership between the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP) and Climate Resilience Consulting (CRC). The toolkit is designed as a self-guided resource for local government staff and the technical assistance providers and walks users through ten characteristics to integrate into climate resilience projects to ensure they’re ready to receive the funding and finance needed for success. It provides tips for overcoming challenges such as lack of resources, funding, or political will and a mismatch between older plans and community needs.
A Practical Guide to Building Climate Resilience takes the Geos Institute’s Whole Community Resilience framework and walks an individual through creating a climate resilience plan for their community. It’s been created as a Do-It-Yourself guide, pointing readers to free resources where available and incorporating lessons learned from experts in the climate resilience field. Each step covers a number of tasks, from creating a local task force, finding climate data, and hosting workshops and other community engagement events.
Contact
If you have questions or comments about any of the information on this webpage, please contact the Technical Project Manager, Kris Eclarino at keclarino@climateresolve.org
