Resources for Local Governments

The City of Seattle is only one of many local governments that are already well underway with climate protection actions, plans and policies. Here we’ve gathered some examples that may be helpful to other local governments that are just getting started. . (Please note that this is a work in progress and that there may be good resources we overlooked or that became available after this was compiled; please contact us with suggestions or additions climate@seattle.gov.)

One good starting point is to join ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability. Their Cities for Climate Protection program is designed specifically for local governments to take action on climate change. ICLEI, with support from the City of Seattle and U.S. Conference of Mayors, just released a new Climate Action Handbook as a resource guide on climate protection. Intended for signatories of the US Mayors Agreement but applicable to cities and towns across the country, the Handbook showcases climate protection policies, actions, tools and best practices.

The Center for Climate Strategies is a non profit organization formed to support states and other entities in creating and managing climate change mitigation plans and policies. The Center supports public officials at all levels of government in designing and implementing climate change policies.

Take a look at Seattle’s proposed climate strategies and below to see what other cities are doing. Also links to case studies from around the world are available here.

There's a new and comprehensive report on why the robust and compelling body of climate change science has not had a greater impact on action in the United States. In late 2005, the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies convened 110 US leaders and thinkers and asked them to diagnose the reasons and to generate recommendations to address it.

Other Climate Action Plans

Cities and states across the country are taking actions to address global climate change. From Cambridge to San Francisco and from Oregon to Connecticut, plans are being developed and implemented to reduce global warming pollution, save taxpayers money, and improve the health and livability of our communities.

The following is a sampling of Climate Action Plans from jurisdictions across the United States and Canada:

Cities and Counties

• Boulder , CO (.PDF)
• Cambridge, MA
• Fort Collins, CO
• Los Angeles, CA (.PDF)
• Madison, WI
• Medford, MA (.PDF)
• Miami-Dade County , FL
• Minneapolis , MN (.PDF)
• Portland, OR
• Salt Lake City , UT
• San Francisco, CA
• Santa Cruz , CA
• Vancouver, BC (.PDF)

States and Regions

• Puget Sound area, WA (.PDF)
• California (.PDF)
• Connecticut
• Minnesota (.PDF)
• New York State (recommendations) (.PDF)
• Oregon
• Ottawa, ON
• New England Governors/Canadian Premiers (.PDF)

Resolutions, Ordinances, and Executive Orders

City of Olympia

Olympia Resolution No. M-1586 re: clean car (low emission standards), 2005

Olympia Resolution No. M-1550 adopting strategy to manage and reduce energy and fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, 2004

City of Seattle

Resolution 30316: Supporting efforts to curb global warming, adopting greenhouse gas emission reduction goals for the city of Seattle, and calling for continuing and new actions toward achieving those goals.

Taking Action: Web Resources for Local Government