Search Results
Resource
Rhode Island 2021 Act on Climate
April 10, 2021
On April 10, 2021, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo signed the Rhode Island 2021 Act on Climate into law, amending the Resilient Rhode Island Act of 2014 by making mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets more enforceable, adding a goal of net-zero by 2050, and requiring actions to promote equity and environmental justice. The new law requires the state Climate Council — established by the 2014 bill — to develop and periodically update a plan to reach these goals. New language also requires the state Council’s plan to include an equitable transition, and address environmental injustices.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
West Virginia Senate Bill 389 (2021): Relating to State Resiliency Office responsibility to plan for emergency and disaster response, recovery, and resiliency
February 24, 2021
West Virginia Senate Bill 389, enacted in 2021, amended the duties of the State Resiliency Office, which was initially established in 2017 through HB 2935, and formally established a State Resiliency Officer position to lead the Office.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
New Jersey Senate Bill (SB) 2607: Requiring land use plan element of municipal master plan to include climate change-related hazard vulnerability assessment
February 4, 2021
On February 4, 2021, New Jersey enacted Senate Bill (SB) 2607 amending the required components for municipal master plans in New Jersey to incorporate climate change risks and adaptation strategies. Specifically, the land use element of any master plan adopted after the bill’s passage must include a climate change and extreme weather vulnerability assessment as well as natural hazard mitigation strategies.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Executive Order 14008 - Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
January 27, 2021
Executive Order 14008 (“order”), issued by U. S. President Joe Biden on January 27, 2021, establishes climate change as a priority across all aspects of federal government operations and policy. The order sets policies and directs agency actions that promote environmental justice, green technology and job growth, economic development, and U. S. leadership in foreign climate policy. In addition to rejoining the Paris Agreement and committing to hosting a climate summit, the order creates two federal administrative bodies to coordinate climate action across the federal government and directs them to immediately create strategies for accomplishing these policy goals.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
S.3418 – Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Act of 2020 (STORM Act)
January 1, 2021
The Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Act of 2020 (STORM Act), enacted January 1st, 2021, amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U. S. C. 5131) to authorize grants to establish hazard mitigation revolving loan fund programs. The programs are intended to fund projects that mitigate natural hazards including wildfires, earthquakes, drought, severe storm events, erosion, storm surges, and high water levels. The goal of the federal funding is to support risk reduction for local governments by decreasing loss of life and property, insurance costs, and the necessity for future federal disaster relief.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Honolulu, Hawaii Ordinance 20-47 - Office of Resilience
December 23, 2020
In December 2020, the Mayor of Honolulu signed Ordinance 20-47 (Ordinance), which formally codifies the responsibilities of the previously-established City of Honolulu Office of Resilience (Resilience Office), which include coordinating a coastal and water program, a climate resilience and equity program, and a food sustainability program. The Ordinance is meant to address climate change concerns by building on previous ordinances, and implements a ‘one water’ policy for the city.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
New York Community Risk and Resiliency Act Implementation Guidance
November 4, 2020
In November 2020, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released a series of four guidance documents to implement part of the New York Community Risk and Resiliency Act (CRRA), as amended by the New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The CRRA requires that state agencies consider future climate impacts as a part of certain planning, permitting, and funding actions. The CRRA also requires that the DEC issue guidance for state agencies and other audiences to implement the CRRA. In accordance with that requirement, DEC issued four guidance documents: (1) Using Natural Measures to Reduce the Risk of Flooding and Erosion, (2) New York State Flood Risk Management Guidance, (3) a guide on Estimating Guideline Elevations, which presents the principles introduced in the New York State Flood Risk Management Guidance to assist planners, engineers, designers, and architects in flood mitigation project design; and (4) Guidance for Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Assessment. While these guidance documents were developed by DEC to facilitate implementation of the New York Community Risk and Resiliency Act, much of the information presented is applicable to other jurisdictions that seek to manage floodplains in accordance with climate risks.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
California Executive Order N-82-20 Addressing the Biodiversity Crisis
October 7, 2020
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an Executive Order on October 7, 2020 creating a California Biodiversity Collaborative and setting a goal of conserving at least 30% of the state’s land and coastal waters by 2030 to combat the biodiversity and climate crises. The EO also calls for engaging with stakeholders across California to, among other things: prioritize investments to protect biodiversity, habitat restoration, wildfire resistant and sustainable landscapes; protect pollinators, native plants and animals, and soils; naturally sequester carbon; and develop a “Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Connecticut Microgrid and Resilience Grant and Loan Pilot Program
September 2020
In September 2020, the Connecticut legislature passed the Microgrid and Resilience Grant and Loan Pilot Program (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 16-243y). The act expands the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s authority to fund resilience projects, in addition to microgrids. The act supports the creation of climate change resilience projects in Connecticut.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
South Carolina Disaster Relief and Resilience Act
September 29, 2020
In September 2020, the South Carolina legislature passed the Disaster Relief and Resilience Act ("the act," S. B. 259, codified at S. C. Code Ann. §§ 48-62-10, 48-62-310, 6-29-510(D)) to increase the state's resilience to natural disaster and flooding events. The act establishes the position of Chief Resilience Officer and the South Carolina Office of Resilience to coordinate disaster recovery and resilience efforts within the state, creates the Disaster Relief and Resilience Reserve Fund to finance disaster recovery efforts and hazard mitigation projects, and creates the Resilience Revolving Fund to provide low-interest loans to local governments to perform floodplain buyouts and restoration.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
