Climate Equity Action Plan

Nobody is immune to the impacts of climate change but underrecognized communities tend to face more severe effects.

Ramsey County's Climate Equity Action Plan outlines specific actions the county will take including:

• Mitigation strategies reduce emissions or remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
• Adaptation strategies prepare for and adjust to current and projected impacts of climate change.

Overarching goals and activities

Collaborate and communicate Collaborate and communicate

• Form a resident advisory team to review climate-related programs, processes, and progress. This team will also ensure climate-related programs meet the needs of climate-vulnerable communities.
• Host opportunities for greater community involvement in county-led climate action.
• Provide transparent progress updates on county-led climate action.
• Build capacity of local communities to increase resilience in the face of climate change.
• Share information and resources to help individual residents act beyond county-led initiatives.

Plan and prepare Plan and prepare

• Prioritize climate actions that benefit areas disproportionately impacted by climate change.
• Provide uninterrupted services and develop trust-based relationships with community.
• Develop climate justice guidance to apply to future requests for board action to ensure county projects consider climate impacts.
• Prepare for near term and continuous climate migration to the county, in all service areas.
• Develop annual climate change legislative platform and support other legislative efforts to advance climate goals in public policy. For 2024 we will support legislation that:
• Addresses climate change, protects, and enhances natural environments, addresses the need to expand adaptation and resilience efforts, responds to the potential impact of severe weather events, and promotes sustainability in county operations.
• Focuses on increasing use of clean energy to create jobs and diversify the local economy.
• Increases funding to address reforestation needs for communities impacted by the Emerald Ash Borer.

Build capacity to respond Build capacity to respond

• Perform gap analysis of existing climate response work in county to determine additional ways to advance climate action across the goals in the climate action framework.
• Expand and optimize funding for climate action across departments.
• Expand staff capacity for climate change mitigation and adaptation across departments.
• Educate existing staff about addressing the impacts of climate change through their work.
• Track and apply for funding, coordinating across departments, to support climate actions.
• Provide micro-grants for community-led climate action in the county.

Focus areas

The plan has six focus areas, with actions listed in each area to address climate change in Ramsey County:

• Clean transportation.
• Thriving communities.
• Healthy lives.
• Clean energy and efficient buildings.
• Climate-smart natural land.
• Clean economy.

Community engagement and plan development

In 2022 the county developed a strategic priority to partner with community to reduce greenhouse gas and help community survive and thrive in changing climate conditions.

County staff worked with community members to develop a Climate Equity Action Plan. They used the state's climate action framework as a guide.

The county's Climate Action Equity Plan includes near-, middle-, and long-term actions planned to respond to climate change and increase community resilience.

County department leaders and staff provided insight and connections to related county efforts and plans. Community members shared their related concerns, needs and priorities.

This review process kept the expectations of the Climate Equity Action Plan realistic.

The group considered:

• Actions that could be worked into existing county programs.
• Additional resources needed for new work.
• Climate impacts community members want the county to address.