City of Portland and Multnomah County, Oregon Climate Action Plan 2009

In 2007, Portland City Council and the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners adopted resolutions directing staff to design a strategy to reduce local carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. This 2009 Climate Action Plan responds to that directive. It intends to guide future efforts by the City and County and provide an innovative framework for the region’s transition to a more prosperous, sustainable, and climate-stable future. An updated version of this plan was released in 2015. 

This plan responds to climate change through measures to reduce emissions and prepare for rapid changes in the climate. In order to respond to the inter-related problems identified - climate change, social inequity, rising energy prices, and degraded natural systems - the plan suggests an integrated response that goes beyond reducing carbon emissions. The plan describes actions to create and maintain jobs, improve community livability and public health, address social equity, and foster strong, resilient natural systems. By integrating these elements, Portland and Multnomah County intend to create local jobs, improve social equity, create healthier residents, become more energy self-sufficient, protect and enhance air quality and natural systems, and save money.

The "Urban Forestry and Natural Systems" chapter suggests plans to maximize the benefits of natural systems and protect against losses, including actions to focus on retaining the existing canopy, planting large-species trees where appropriate, and keeping trees healthy. The objective of the "Climate Change Preparation" chapter is to specifically integrate adaptation planning into the City and County long-range goals and actions. A number of specific recommendations to accomplish this level of "mainstreaming" are provided. Other examples of recommendations include efforts to protect and improve watershed health, strengthen linkages between public health and climate change, and conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the vulnerability of key sectors to climate change, including food, water, energy, transportation, floodplains, watersheds, public health, and emergency preparedness. 

 

Publication Date: October 2009

Related Organizations:

  • Multnomah Sustainability Program
  • City of Portland, Oregon

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  • Plans (other)

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