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New Brighton Climate Action Plan 1 -1 <br />New Brighton has signiflcantly advanced sustainability by <br />upgrading city facilities with efflcient technologies and <br />endorsing renewable energy. As a Step 5 GreenStep City, <br />it has implemented efflcient lighting and vehicles, revised <br />zoning codes for resilient growth, embraced sustainable <br />purchasing, and ensured equity in these efforts. A citizen- <br />led Parks, Recreation, and Environmental Commission <br />assists with environmental initiatives. The city has <br />installed solar arrays on municipal buildings and plans <br />more electric vehicle charging stations. <br /> <br />Strong community support for sustainable climate actions <br />exists, prompting city leaders to create the City's flrst <br />Climate Action Plan. This plan outlines climate mitigation <br />and resilience strategies through 2030. <br /> <br />The Role of Cities in Climate Action <br />With a large majority of Americans living in urban areas, <br />cities play a key role in addressing climate change. While <br />each individual community’s impact on global GHG <br />emissions is relatively small, the leadership cities provide <br />in motivating change can be extremely signiflcant. <br /> <br />The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate <br />Change (IPCC) calculates that over 40% of the needed <br />global emissions reductions can be met by municipal <br />governments taking action. According to a survey by the <br />US Conference of Mayors, more than half (53%) had <br />committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. <br />With this Climate Action Plan, New Brighton takes an <br />important step in helping to lead municipal climate action. <br />Introduction <br />What is a Climate Action Plan (CAP) <br />Climate action plans are comprehensive road <br />maps that outline the speciflc Strategies and <br />Actions to implement for GHG emission <br />reductions and to build resilience to related <br />climatic impacts. The New Brighton CAP <br />addresses both climate mitigation and climate <br />adaptation actions. <br /> <br />Why Create a Climate Action Plan <br />A Climate Action Plan (CAP) offers a <br />structured approach for communities to <br />combat global climate change, while enhancing <br />resilience against climate impacts. CAPs can <br />spur investment in innovative jobs and cost- <br />saving measures, improving quality of life. This <br />is especially true for vulnerable community <br />members, who often bear the brunt of climate <br />change impacts. <br /> <br />What is Climate Mitigation <br />Actions taken to limit the magnitude or rate of <br />long-term global warming and its related <br />effects. Climate change mitigation generally <br />involves reductions in human emissions of <br />GHG. <br /> <br />What is Climate Adaptation <br />The capacity of a natural environment or <br />community to prevent, withstand, respond to, <br />and recover from a disruption. The process of <br />adjusting to new climate conditions to reduce <br />risks to valued assets. Adaptation is achieved <br />through actions taken to increase resilience to <br />climate change impacts by reducing <br />vulnerability. <br />Click here to <br />return to TOC