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Georgetown Climate Center

The nonpartisan Georgetown Climate Center seeks to advance effective climate and energy policies in the United States and serves as a resource to state and local communities that are working to cut carbon pollution and prepare for climate change. As part of Georgetown Law, the Center works extensively with government officials, academics, and an array of stakeholders. It analyzes the provisions of federal policy relevant to state and local government, works with states on developing innovative new policies, and encourages policymakers to learn from state experience. The Georgetown Climate Center also developed, manages, and maintains the Adaptation Clearinghouse.

The Center informs the development of state and federal policies that:

  • Reduce carbon pollution from power plants and stationary sources.
  • Support clean and resilient transportation options.
  • Help communities adapt to climate change.

Below are some of the organization's key adaptation projects:

  • Developing and Maintaining the Adaptation Clearinghouse:  The Center developed and maintains that Adaptation Clearinghouse a comprehensive database to inform the work of policymakers seeking to adapt to the impacts of climate change.  We regularly partner with organizations, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, the American Society of Adaptation Professionals, the Federal Highway Administration and other organizations working on resilience and adaptation issues through this site.
  • Preparing for Urban Heat Impacts: The Georgetown Climate Center works with state and local governments to develop “heat-smart” communities that are well prepared to cope with rising temperatures; to both help them identify the adaptation choices available and navigate through the legal obstacles they may face in trying to implement different options. 
  • Preparing for Sea-Level Rise and Flooding Impacts: The Center is working with state and local governments to help them become “coast-smart” — that is, better prepared to cope with the threats posed by rising sea levels and more extreme weather. We convene dialogues between states, local governments, and federal agencies to ensure that lessons learned on how to adapt our coastal communities are shared widely to inform future policies and actions.
  • Preparing for Climate Change Impacts in the Transportation Sector – Every year, taxpayers pay hundreds of billions of dollars for transportation and related infrastructure—infrastructure that is becoming increasingly vulnerable to flooding and damage from extreme heat as a result of climate change. The Georgetown Climate Center regularly works with communities, states, and the federal government to document how policymakers at all levels of government are working to adapt transportation infrastructure and systems to a range of climate change impacts and at all stages of decisionmaking.
  • Working with Cities to Improve Green Infrastructure:  The Georgetown Climate Center is working with a group of local partners to identify the best green infrastructure practices that cities are beginning to experiment with and to translate these lessons into a toolkit in order to share the best practices with communities across the country.
  • Federal Policy:  The Georgetown Climate Center helps to inform federal policy by analyzing legal barriers that state and local governments are encountering as they take action to prepare for climate change; we also analyze existing federal programs that could be leveraged to support adaptation initiatives.  

Phone: (202) 661-6566

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Related Organizations:

  • Georgetown Law
  • Harrison Institute

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