Review what has worked

Many cities have implemented Climate Action Plans, so you needn't reinvent the wheel.  In fact, it's most effective if you look at the cities that have most effectively achieved goals similar to yours.  How did they achieve their emissions reductions?

Consider also the political situation (and stability) in your community and in the cities whose Climate Action Plans you are reviewing.  Are they similar?  If not, what adjustments will you need to make?

Anchorage

In Anchorage, our climate action plan seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.  It was adopted without the force of law behind it, so its success hinges on long-term future efforts.

Because our political leadership oscillates between left and right, it is important that we establish some aspects of the plan that can remain stable while leadership fluctuates.   A few items that could be long-lasting would include:

• Establishing a Green Bank to provide low interest loans for energy-saving and low-carbon work,
• Establishing stringent building code standards for energy efficiency, and
• Requiring electrical utilities to accommodate individual customer requests for a particular percentage of renewable energy at an appropriate rate.  This may require a battery to stabilize power fluctuation within the grid.

Anchorage produced not only a 106-page Climate Action Plan, but also a 12-page Climate Action Strategy.

Other cities' Climate Action Plans are included below:

    San Diego (legally-binding)  

    Flagstaff

    Portland

    Oakland

Also compare the planks of the Climate Action Plans of six leading Democratic presidential candidates from February 2020.