What We Deliver

At the end of our planning process, we deliver a comprehensive set of policy recommendations for administrative and legislative implementation, based on the results of stakeholder decisions. Typically, a final report is organized around the following headings:

• Executive Summary/ List of Recommendations  
• History and Status of State Actions  
• Description of the Planning Process  
• Results of the State Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Forecast  
• Results of the Climate Action Planning Process, including policy recommendations for: 
• Energy Supply  
• Residential, Commercial and Industrial Activities 
• Transportation and Land Use 
• Agriculture, Forestry and Waste Management  
• Cross Cutting Issues
• Appendices

The Arizona state climate action plan provides a good model of a state climate planning process by CCS (see www.azclimatechange.us).  It includes 49 specific recommended policy actions across all sectors that reduce greenhouse gas emissions growth and meet aggressive new state targets (see www.azclimatechange.us). Of these, 45 recommendations received unanimous support by stakeholders. Full implementation of the plan is estimated to provide roughly $5.5 billion in net economic savings to the state by 2020, and to create a significant new base of jobs associated with renewable energy. In addition, plan implementation will result in major energy savings. The achievements of the Arizona plan are remarkable compared to the daunting level of greenhouse gas emissions growth expected without action – roughly 150 percent from the 1990 to 2020 time period, the highest estimated rate among U.S. states. Implementation of key elements of the plan is now underway by Executive Order. Similarly, the New Mexico climate action plan is comprised of 69 recommendations, 67 of which were adopted by unanimous consent. If fully implemented the plan would provide $2 billion in net economic savings to the state (see www.nmclimatechange.us). It also is under early implementation by Executive Order.  

The Connecticut state climate action plan provides another good model of a process directed by the leaders of CCS.  The final plan includes 55 separate recommendations for policy action. Of these, the governor immediately implemented 38, and began steps toward implementation of the remaining 17 measures. The measures cut across a variety of sectors and include such measures as adoption of more stringent tailpipe emission standards, upgraded energy efficiency requirements for appliances, enhancement of building energy codes, a renewable energy strategy, and participation in a regional cap-and-trade program. The plan also includes a significant job creation measure – support for a hydrogen fuel R&D program – that helps Connecticut capitalize upon and maintain its status as a national leader in this alternative energy technology. Every proposed measure quantifies the expected GHG reduction, and the cost per ton of mitigated GHG, as well as characterizes significant co-benefits. Technical evaluations also include macroeconomic modeling of impacts to the state economy. 

The planning processes by the Center for Climate Strategies also deliver valuable intangibles. For example, an important benefit of our process is that it creates powerful long-term support for climate action from a diverse collection of stakeholders. In our experience, these stakeholders maintain their interest in the climate issue and see the action plan through to implementation. These stakeholders defend, extend, and give strength to the climate action plan at a civic level, and stand poised for engagement on other issues of importance to the state.

The self-determined nature of these processes typically results in a strong preference for low-cost, money-saving measures that provide jobs, economic development, and/or environmental co-benefits. One of the overriding results tends to be modernization of energy supply and use across all sectors.

The final results of our work are concrete and measurable. Governors can issue Executive Orders and take administrative actions, and legislatures can pass bills or provide support to implement far-reaching climate-friendly policies. After developing their own plans, individual states are more able to coalesce around harmonized regional initiatives and work together to address issues of mutual concern.