Municipal Sustainability, Community Climate Protection Planning

Brendle Group was part of a team that supported the City of Cleveland’s Office of Sustainability to develop of a Climate Action and Sustainability Plan. This effort included three distinct phases: (1) a Sustainability Action Plan for the City’s internal operations; (2) a greenhouse gas inventory for Cleveland city proper; and (3) a community-wide Climate Action Plan for Cleveland city proper. Carbon reduction goals were developed and strategies identified to help meet these goals, including estimated implementation cost, cost savings, and greenhouse gas reductions achieved for each strategy. The plan also included guidance on implementation, monitoring progress, and communicating the plan to stakeholders. Total municipal emissions inventoried were 400,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e), or about 5 percent of all community-wide emissions (12.8 million MTCO2e). The 33 priority strategies identified and analyzed in the community Climate Action Plan could reduce Cleveland’s carbon footprint 16 percent by 2020, 40 percent by 2030, and 80 percent by 2050.

Brendle Group is currently working with City staff to update the community greenhouse gas inventory. As part of this process, the format of the inventory was adapted to meet Cleveland’s commitments to the Compact of Mayors, which it signed in 2015. Brendle group is also working with a team to update the Climate Action Plan through the lens of social and racial equity. This process is designed to identify the needs of underserved communities and determine how the Climate Action Plan can be used to address these concerns and build thriving, healthy, and resilient neighborhoods.

To learn more about the City of Cleveland’s Climate Action Plan, click here.