photo by: Douglas County/City of Lawrence

Climate Action Plan illustration

City of Lawrence leaders will soon receive an update on the development of the local climate action plan, which will ultimately include actions local governments will take to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.

The city and Douglas County are collaborating on the development of the plan, and Sustainability Coordinator Jasmin Moore will provide the City Commission the update as part of its meeting Tuesday. The plan includes three main components, according to a memo from Moore to the commission. The three components are as follows:

• The impact that the city and county have on the environment, specifically greenhouse gases and how to reduce them, including emissions that arise from transportation and those from using energy to heat and cool buildings.

• Extreme weather events and improving the ability of the city and county to cope with or avoid harmful conditions such as flooding, heat and drought.

• Building a plan in partnership with the community with an equity framework. The memo states that the consequences of climate change will affect everyone, but that some communities may not be able to adapt, resist or recover from the effects of climate change without equitable investments.

The climate action plan will help implement goals included in the city and county comprehensive plan, Plan 2040, which was adopted in late 2019. The plan calls for the community to identify specific actions to reduce greenhouse gases, risk and exposure to hazards, and to manage air quality to limit outdoor air pollution, excessive greenhouse gases and indoor air pollution.

The plan is meant to build on and connect existing plans and policies, according to the memo. That includes the city’s 2020 ordinance that established the goal of powering the entire city with renewable energy by 2035, the five sustainability principles that the city adopted earlier this year, the local food system plan and the climate protection plan. It will also draw on the regional climate action plan.

As part of the development of the local climate action plan, public input will be collected in various ways. That process will involve partnering with community organizations, public surveys, and providing ways for members of the public to discuss the topic in their own circles.

The first public survey as part of the development of the climate action plan is currently available online. The survey is designed to understand how residents, organizations and businesses are affected by climate change, according to a news release from the county.

As part of the survey, residents answer about a dozen questions regarding climate issues, including what they believe are the top three environmental issues facing them and their neighbors; what they would change about how they heat and cool their homes; and which topics they are most interested in giving input on during the development of the plan.

More information about the development of the plan and a link to take the current survey is available on the project website, lawrenceks.org/climate. Information is also available on the website for those who are interested in becoming a “climate ambassador,” which includes various options to engage with people they know about climate issues.

The Lawrence City Commission will meet virtually at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, and some staff will be in place at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St. The public may attend the meeting in person at City Hall or participate virtually by following directions included in the commission’s meeting agenda, which is available on the city’s website, lawrenceks.org.