Climate Action Planning: A Guide to Creating Low-Carbon, Resilient Communities

by Michael R. Boswell, Adrienne I Greve, Tammy L Seale

Climate change continues to impact our health and safety, the economy, and natural systems.  With climate-related protections and programs under attack at the federal level, it is critical for cities to address climate impacts locally. Every day there are new examples of cities approaching the challenge of climate change in creative and innovative ways—from rethinking transportation, to greening city buildings, to protecting against sea-level rise.   
  
Climate Action Planning is designed to help planners, municipal staff and officials, citizens and others working at local levels to develop and implement plans to mitigate a community's greenhouse gas emissions and increase the resilience of communities against climate change impacts. This fully revised and expanded edition goes well beyond climate action plans to examine the mix of policy and planning instruments available to every community. Boswell, Greve, and Seale also look at process and How does a community bring diverse voices to the table? What do recent examples and research tell us about successful communication strategies?
 
Climate Action Planning brings in new examples of implemented projects to highlight what has worked and the challenges that remain. A completely new chapter on vulnerability assessment will help each community to identify their greatest risks and opportunities. Sections on land use and transportation have been expanded to reflect their growing contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The guidance in the book is put in context of international, national, and state mandates and goals.
 
Climate Action Planning is the most comprehensive book on the state of the art, science, and practice of local climate action planning. It should be a first stop for any local government interested in addressing climate change.
 

Genres: Sustainability

384 pages, Paperback

Published July 16, 2019

Reviews

[Fred Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really a book for casual reading but a great reference book and a how-to if you are in a position in a government at some level, an NGO or as an activist to help create a climate action plan for a city or or government. Thorough book, good references. Definitely helpful for my grad students and work. Great work again by Island Press.

[Ryan O'Malley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A highly focused look into what local towns can do to fight climate change. This book is not made for the general public, instead it is hyper specific on local government. My biggest critique is that the book should have been more solution orientated. I would have preferred a division of the book based on specific climate change policies that have worked in different cities.