Climate Action Plan
When the US pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017, it became clear that leadership from local government, businesses, and civic institutions was needed more than ever. The City of Cleveland, along with 400 "Climate Mayors" across the country, re-affirmed the commitment to climate action.
Progress has been made since the first Cleveland Climate Action Plan (CAP) launched in 2013. Carbon pollution has been reduced and water and air quality have improved while the economy has grown.The City has been recognized for supporting solar and wind energy. Over 70 miles of bike infrastructure has been installed and a bike share system was launched (UHBikes). The Cleveland Climate Action Fund supported over 50 resident-led, neighborhood-based projects. Dozens of organizations have implemented the Cleveland Tree Plan. Destination Cleveland reported that the number of Clevelanders who would recommend the city as a place to visit has more than doubled.
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Despite this positive momentum, much work remains across all focus areas. From August 2017 to September 2018, the City of Cleveland led a community process to update its CAP. This update builds off the previous work by firmly establishing a series of cross-cutting priorities:
- social and racial equity
- good jobs, green jobs
- resilience to the impacts of climate change
- business leadership
This plan is about much more than climate change. The actions in this plan are meant to strengthen the economy, clean the environment, and improve the health and wellness of Clevelanders.The work must be done in a way that ensures that those most in need enjoy the benefits of climate action.
2018 Cleveland Climate Action Plan
The Sustainable Cleveland Municipal Action Plan (SC-MAP) focuses specifically on municipal operations. The SC-MAP, in conjunction with the community-wide CAP, enables the City to lead by example while reaping the many known benefits of sustainability derived from increased efficiencies, reduced operating costs, and enhanced services.