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Figure 1: The impacts of climate change, like this severe inland flooding from extreme precipitation, are impacting communities across the country (Weston & Sampson).
by Cassidy Yates, EIT, LEED® Green Associate
Climate Action Plans (CAPs) are strategic roadmaps to address the urgent challenge of climate change, which is impacting communities here in Connecticut and across the country. This can lead to record high temperatures in the summer, rising sea levels, and increasingly frequent and severe inland flooding events from extreme rainfall events.
The impacts of climate change disproportionately affect areas where residents have lower incomes and where communities of color are more likely to live, including here in Connecticut.[1] The release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contributes to climate change by trapping heat within the atmosphere, leading to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. To limit the extent of these impacts, responding to climate change in Connecticut requires that we take action now to rapidly reduce the amount of GHGs emitted and focus on strategies that promote an equitable transition to a clean energy future that prioritizes the communities that are most vulnerable to climate hazards.
Action is needed across communities to decarbonize our electricity generation, buildings, transportation, waste systems, and more. CAPs highlight strategies that municipalities, regional planning organizations, state agencies, community-based organizations, the private sector, and individual residents can implement to meaningfully mitigate GHG emissions. CAPs can also advance an equitable transition to a net-zero future. Combined with federal and state policy and funding commitments, regional and local-level climate action can help us realize a safe, healthy, and prosperous future for everyone.
Nationwide, states and metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) have embarked on climate action planning processes, funded through the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program. This multi-phase program has enabled the development of statewide and regional Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs). The PCAP is a first cut of measurable, high impact, and implementable climate actions which can open opportunities for additional funding for action implementation. The planning efforts and content of the PCAP directly feed into the development of the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP), an additional phase of the CPRG program.
Climate Action in Connecticut
In Connecticut, five climate action planning processes are underway by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and various Councils of Governments that represent metro areas across the state (Figure 2). The State of Connecticut’s PCAP identified 14 near-term, implementation-ready actions and each of the regional plans also included specific actions relevant to their respective region and the municipalities they encompass. Weston & Sampson is supporting these efforts in the southwestern and northeastern regions of the state for the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk MSA and the Worcester, MA-CT MSA, respectively. These two regions encompass 40 municipalities of varying characteristics including size and demographics.
Figure 2: Climate action planning across Connecticut (Weston & Sampson).
The Southwest CT Climate Action Plan, which the remainder of this article describes, was developed as a joint effort between the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG), Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG), Weston & Sampson, and Resilient Land and Water. The key objective was to identify near-term actions that can be taken to reduce GHG emissions in various high-emitting sectors. While these actions alone may not achieve net-zero, they represent vital initial strides towards reaching the overarching emissions reduction goals while also providing co-benefits such as increased climate resilience and improved public health.
Elements of the CAP include a GHG emissions inventory (developed by the University of Massachusetts Amherst), emissions reduction measures, review of the authority to implement, additional complimentary funding sources, and preliminary workforce planning analysis. The EPA established climate justice as a core element of the CPRG program by including an analysis of the “low income and disadvantaged communities” (LIDAC) as a requirement of the planning process. The LIDAC analysis enabled the selection of emissions reduction measures which also had greater co-benefits.
Equity-Centered Climate Action Planning
To reduce the existing burdens and minimize future impacts of climate change to LIDAC communities, emissions reduction measures were informed by robust stakeholder engagement, with measures being assessed for their potential to provide benefits to these populations. LIDAC communities across the region were identified using several tools provided by the US EPA, including:
- Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST),
Figure 3: LIDAC Communities within Southwestern Connecticut (Weston & Sampson).
- Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping tool (EJScreen), and
- EPA Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Disadvantaged Communities Map.
The EPA tools classify census tracts as disadvantaged based on thresholds and indicators pertaining to environmental, climate, and other socioeconomic factors.
The CEJST assesses environmental, climate, and socioeconomic burdens across eight categories including:
- climate change
- energy
- health
- housing
- legacy pollution
- transportation
- water and wastewater
- workforce development
The EJScreen, on the other hand, combines environmental indicators with seven socioeconomic indicators:
- people of color
- low-income
- unemployment rate
- limited English speaking
- less than high school education
- population under age 5
- population over age 64
The outputs of both tools are combined in the EPA IRA Disadvantaged Communities Map, summarized for the Southwest CT region in Figure 3.
Figure 4: A public meeting led by Resilient Land and Water at the East Side
Senior Center in Bridgeport (courtesy Resilient Land and Water).
Following the identification of LIDAC communities and some of the burdens they face, the project team engaged these populations in the planning process in several ways. A public survey was conducted with questions pertaining to participant demographics, opinions on incentive programs, perceptions on GHG reduction measure effectiveness, and opportunities to provide any other comments. About 11% of survey respondents were from LIDAC communities.
Simultaneously, the City of Bridgeport, which has the highest concentration of LIDAC communities within the MSA, also gathered input from a more in-depth survey. Four public meetings were held across Bridgeport to engage residents from the entire city, along with focused efforts for individuals residing in the East End, South End, Lower West End, Black Rock, and East Side neighborhoods (Figure 4). The project team also met with organizations that serve the city, including the Bridgeport Regional Energy Partnership and Greater Bridgeport Transit.
Residents, organizations, and municipal staff from other communities also participated in the measure development process and provided input on the proposed priority measures. The project team also met with the Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council and Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, in addition to regular coordination amongst the other Councils of Government and state agencies.
Priority Measures
The Southwest CT Climate Action Plan identified seven action areas supported by a total of 16 priority measures to reduce GHG emissions from high-emitting sources.
- Transportation
Figure 5: Electric vehicle charging station in Fairfield (courtesy MetroCOG).
- Electric vehicles (Figure 5)
- Active mobility
- Public transit
- Residential and Commercial Buildings
- Residential and commercial building upgrades
- Municipal building upgrades
- Legislative change
- Carbon reduction plan reporting
- Electric Power
- Renewable energy generation, use, and storage
- Materials Waste
- Materials management
- Waste reduction
- Wastewater energy use reduction
- Carbon Capture
- Conserve land while promoting smart growth
- Expand green space and trees
- Sustainable Growth
- Climate friendly land use
- Green Economy
- Green workforce development
- Equitable procurement
The plan quantifies the estimated GHG emissions reductions associated with each measure and includes implementation details such as which entities have the authority to implement actions, possible funding sources, and example partners and projects. Each measure also includes an analysis of the benefits that LIDAC communities may experience, identifies disbenefit mitigation that may be needed to avoid further burdens, and summarizes equitable implementation considerations. A framework for evaluating the benefits was developed that included four key categories: climate resilience, environmental burdens, cost burdens, and workforce development.
For example, in the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), equitable implementation should address barriers such as affordability, access to charging infrastructure, and education around the importance of switching from gasoline to electric. The following LIDAC community benefits were identified:
An increase in EVs throughout the region would reduce GHG emissions and improve air quality. The use of EVs in dense city centers reduces air and noise pollution.
Incentives for purchasing EVs will lower the cost to transition and improve access to this option for lower income households. Providing municipally owned EV charging stations with lower rates can promote EV ownership.
Accommodating large numbers of EVs will require installation of EV infrastructure, which will increase demand for additional technicians in the utilities and construction industries.
Similarly, LIDAC communities can benefit greatly from building energy efficiency and electrification programs that provide education and financing opportunities to property owners, residents, and renters specifically. When implementing programs, outreach and engagement with LIDAC communities should be prioritized to encourage their participation in several capacities, including in the early program design phase and identification of needs and barriers (e.g., rental units, upfront cost, etc.). The programs should have low barriers to entry and educational resources should be accessible, including translation into languages commonly spoken in the region to ensure they are accessible to those with limited English proficiency. The team identified the following LIDAC community benefits:
Energy-efficient buildings enhance passive survivability by reducing energy consumption, ensuring that essential functions can continue during power outages or emergencies.
Reduced utility costs, especially for renters, can be realized through improved energy efficiency. The program should be designed so that it minimizes the likelihood that property owners will pass costs onto tenants.
The need for installation and maintenance of building systems expands opportunities for skilled trades, since expanded energy efficiency assistance programs would require additional support staff in a variety of positions.
Next Steps
It is intended that the high priority measures identified through this planning process will be implemented in the coming years by local governments, Councils of Government, and other partners across the region, with the support of state and federal resources. The Southwest CT Climate Action Plan served as the foundation for project concepts to apply for the EPA’s CPRG Program implementation funds and other applicable grant funding sources. The plan was only a preliminary step in a two-part planning process to inform and aid municipalities to begin developing an understanding of what it might take to reach GHG emission reduction goals. The second phase of EPA’s CPRG program is underway and is intended to further involve stakeholders to refine the measures and develop resources for accelerating local, regional, and state action in the equitable transition to a net-zero future. The Comprehensive Climate Action Plans will also further detail additional or upcoming funding sources for implementing these actions; building upon recently secured funding at the state level to install solar, heat pumps; and address medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
You can read the Southwest CT Climate Action Plan (Figure 6) at https://www.swctclimate.com/
[1] Environmental Justice: Cumulative Impacts Analysis, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Thursday, September 5, 2024 https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/deep/environmental_justice/ej-law-regulations/ej-regs-info-session-slides—creph-sept-2024.pdf
Cassidy Yates, EIT, LEED® Green Associate, is a Climate Resiliency and Sustainability Engineer with Weston & Sampson, providing technical support for a variety of projects across New England to support adaptation and decarbonization. She can be reached at yates.cassidy@wseinc.com. Weston & Sampson is located in Rocky Hill, Connecticut and offers interdisciplinary planning, design, engineering, and environmental services.
Published in Connecticut Planning, Fall 2024.
