BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning (ECDEP) has released the county’s Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP).
According to the county, the CCAP is the product of a three-year process involving over 100 stakeholders and is meant to guide the county as it works to reduce climate pollution and protect the community from the impacts of a changing climate.
“We are thankful to all the volunteers, staff, and stakeholders for their work and dedication to develop this plan and to the county residents who provided feedback. This open process ensured the integration of diverse perspectives and valuable community input. The CCAP will directly inform the County’s important efforts to protect our community and to lead our region toward a more sustainable future.”
The county said the Community Climate Change Task Force guided the development of the plan and ten working groups developed each chapter which included:
- Agriculture & Food Systems
- Climate Justice
- Climate Resiliency
- Commercial Energy Conservation & Renewable Energy
- Communicating Progress
- Consumption & Waste Reduction
- Economic & Workforce Development
- Housing & Neighborhood Resiliency
- Nature Based Solutions
- Transportation
The plan will be submitted to the Erie County Legislature for consideration and adoption.
The county said immediate priorities for 2024 include:
- Investments in community centers and libraries to make them more resilient during cold and heat events using a new Community Climate Fund as proposed in the county budget;
- Rolling out a community energy program to reduce energy costs and increase access to renewable energy for low- and moderate-income residents;
- Conducting a heat emergency plan; and
- Kicking off a community tree program.
“The Erie County Community Climate Action Plan provides a vital roadmap for community-facing efforts to reduce climate pollution and make the community more resilient to extreme weather. This builds on long-standing efforts by the County to make our region safe and sustainable. While today marks the launch of the plan, this is a living document and public feedback will continue to be welcomed on the plan’s implementation,” Castle added. “We strongly encourage everyone to review the plan on the County website.”
You can view the entire plan here and submit feedback by emailing sustainability@erie.gov.
