Business Sector Law and Policy
This tab includes laws and policies for avoiding or reducing climate change impacts to businesses, including best practices and legal and policy analysis.
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June 10, 2025
Connecticut Public Act No. 25-33, signed by the Governor on June 10, 2025, is a wide-reaching environmental and climate adaptation law that creates new standards and requirements for state and local government as well as the private sector. Sections 1–4 of the Act close the flood insurance coverage disclosure gap by creating mandatory flood risk disclosures at three distinct points of contact: when an insurance policy is issued or renewed, when a mortgage closes, and when a home is sold.
Related Organizations: State of Connecticut
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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May 22, 2025
Following back-to-back record breaking heat in 2023 and 2024, the Executive Department of Arizona under Governor Katie Hobbs issued Executive Order 2025-09 to address extreme heat as a recognized occupational hazard and require stronger workplace protections.
Related Organizations: State of Arizona
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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May 4, 2023
Washington House Bill 1176, passed May 4, 2023, creates the Washington Climate Corps Network. In recognizing that climate change presents adaptation and resilience difficulties to Washington, HB 1176 looks to mobilize young adults and “create a clean energy economy. ” The Washington Climate Corps Network will emphasize “equity-centered, climate-related service programs. ” There is an additional emphasis on recruiting volunteers from “overburdened and underserved communities” to serve as volunteers.
Related Organizations: Serve Washington
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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June 16, 2022
The Town of Washington, Virginia is a small rural town that largely benefits from the service and tourism industries. Initially funded by private citizen Chuck Akre, Rush River Commons is a project of the Sherwood Fund, the Akre family’s operating foundation. Rush River Commons is a proposed mixed-use development project for the Town of Washington. The project prioritizes the historic character of the Washington community and respects the surrounding natural environment. The proposed plan includes building a community center, office space for nonprofits, and affordable rental housing on a nine-acre property located in the town. The project also includes a plan for restoring the land’s natural wetlands and amenities. Construction of Rush River Commons is set to begin in early 2022. The Rush River Commons project shows how mixed-use development can be designed in a way that is compatible with rural communities. It is also a good example of how local policymakers can help create comprehensive plans and ordinances that support both public and private affordable housing ventures. This case study is one of 24 case studies featured in a report written by the Georgetown Climate Center, Greauxing Resilience at Home: A Collection of Lessons and Case Studies from Louisiana and Beyond
Related Organizations: Georgetown Climate Center
Resource Category: Solutions
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June 16, 2022
The City of Donaldsonville, Louisiana has developed a strategic plan for 2020–2025, which identifies eight strategic priorities to revitalize the city by fostering business development and increasing the city’s standard of living. Among other strategic priorities, the plan addresses: (1) Economic Development; (2) Workforce Development, Job Creation, and Training; (7) Housing, RV Parks, Campgrounds, Mobile or Manufactured Homes; and (8) Infrastructure Revitalization and New Development. Noteworthy recommendations include updating zoning ordinances, launching the Donaldson FIRST program for workforce development, updating aging infrastructure, enhancing mobility and resident’s connectivity to city centers and amenities, and growing green space. The plan was developed through a robust community engagement process that leveraged external support to supplement and expand limited government staff and resources. This plan can serve as an example of how regional and local planners and policymakers in smaller or rural jurisdictions can set and then implement an overarching vision across multiple sectors to address local challenges and increase overall social resilience in a coordinated way. Due to the intersectional nature of this plan, the recommended objectives also have implications on affordable housing and green space efforts, which are especially highlighted. This case study is one of 24 case studies featured in a report written by the Georgetown Climate Center, Greauxing Resilience at Home: A Collection of Lessons and Case Studies from Louisiana and Beyond
Related Organizations: Georgetown Climate Center
Resource Category: Solutions
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June 16, 2022
The City of Gonzales, Louisiana is located in the eastern part of Ascension Parish and centrally located between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Facing increasing retail and commercial development, the city updated its local comprehensive plan to accommodate rapid growth. The Gonzales Comprehensive Plan was created in collaboration with Gonzales’s residents, city staff, various stakeholders, and Gonzales’s elected officials. In the plan, the city presents a clear strategic framework for the future growth of Gonzales. The city addresses Gonzales’s land use and urban design, mobility and transportation, housing, economy, quality of life and city services, and redevelopment of its downtown area. The plan’s affordable housing considerations include diversifying the options and affordability of the housing stock in Gonzales. The plan’s environmental considerations include emphasizing the city’s green spaces and community amenities and benefits, and reducing future flood risk/building overall community resilience. The plan is an example of a local comprehensive plan that addresses growth, while also balancing community needs and environmental conservation in an increasingly suburban area that is experiencing high demands for new development. This case study is one of 24 case studies featured in a report written by the Georgetown Climate Center, Greauxing Resilience at Home: A Collection of Lessons and Case Studies from Louisiana and Beyond
Related Organizations: Georgetown Climate Center
Resource Category: Solutions
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December 2020
The Wisconsin Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change, established in 2019, included a broad array of stakeholders and conferred with people from across the state to identify, examine, and include strategies to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to climate change impacts. The task force issued its report in December 2020, which identifies 55 strategies across 9 sectors: Climate justice and equity; Energy; Transportation; Agriculture; Resilient Systems; Clean economy; Education; Food systems; and Forestry.
Related Organizations: Wisconsin Governor's Task Force on Climate Change
Resource Category: Planning
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The Storm Hardening and Resiliency Joint Agreement demonstrates how community-based organizations can advocate for investments in grid resilience and ensure that investments are made without significant rate increases for low-income customers. Vulnerabilities and inequities in energy infrastructure were exposed following Superstorm Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, which caused significant impacts to New York City’s (NYC) energy system. To protect customers, the region, and energy systems from future natural disasters, Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ConEd) proposed a $1 billion capital investment for years 2013 through 2016 to mitigate impacts of future extreme weather, protect infrastructure, harden energy system components, and facilitate restoration. The utility organized a “Resiliency Collaborative” process to decide on how funds will be spent in their rate application filing. A collaboration of 12 parties including ConEd, NYC agency officials, and nonprofit and academic stakeholders resulted in a Joint Agreement between state Public Service Commission (PSC), ConEd, and other collaborative parties that froze electric rates for two years and required $1 billion in investment in storm hardening and resiliency. The multi-year rate plans ensure that delivery rates will not increase until after the rate plans have ended. The plan also offers rate mitigation for customers while assuring continued safe and reliable service. The agreement also provides for the expansion of the ConEd low-income discount programs to ConEd’s electric and gas businesses for the benefit of low income customers.
Related Organizations: City of New York, New York , Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ConEd)
Resource Category: Solutions
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June 2, 2020
The North Carolina Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan is the state’s first climate change adaptation plan. It includes the results of vulnerability assessments within 11 critical sectors, climate justice concerns and strategies, and recommendations for nature-based solutions to enhance ecosystem resiliency and sequester carbon in the state’s natural and working lands. North Carolina Governor Cooper’s 2018 Executive Order 80 directed state agencies to integrate climate adaptation and resiliency planning into their policies, programs, and operations; and mandated that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) lead the development of this climate risk assessment and resiliency plan for the state.
Related Organizations: State of North Carolina, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Resource Category: Planning
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September 13, 2019
Related Organizations: Global Commission on Adaptation
Resource Category: Solutions
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