St. Paul, MN - Today the Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus held a virtual public forum to introduce the Minnesota Climate Action Plan, a new science-based plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to ongoing climate change, and build resilience.
"Minnesotans are already facing impacts of climate change, and we are running out of time to prevent irreversible and potentially catastrophic changes to the state we cherish," said Rep. Patty Acomb (DFL - Minnetonka), Chair of the House Climate Action Caucus. "We must take immediate action to protect our planet for generations to come. The Minnesota Climate Action Plan outlines the steps that will lead us to a thriving, carbon-free future, including a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. This ambitious plan will help tackle the climate crisis and provide a bright future for all Minnesotans."
The main goal of the Climate Action Plan is a 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, which would put Minnesota on the path to be carbon-free by 2050. In addtion, the plan aims to help communities adapt to changes that are already occurring and build climate resilience across the state.
The Climate Action Plan outlines strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly, efficiently, and affordably as possible across four sectors - energy, transportation, lands, and the built environment - and strategies to facilitate adaptation and resilience. Ambitious, collaborative actions like these would help combat the climate crisis while protecting the environment, addressing social inequalities, ensuring the public's health, and strengthening the economy now and for future generations.
The plan includes the following strategies:
Energy
- Ensure Minnesota achieves 100 percent clean electricity on an accelerated timeline, with an emphasis on solar and wind.
- Invest in energy efficiency and solar for public buildings.
- Ensure Minnesota workers and families benefit from a clean energy economy,
Transportation
- Move boldly on vehicle and transit electrification to provide Minnesotans across the state with electric transportation choices.
- Build out bus rapid transit and passenger rail systems to connect more people with mass transit options.
- Change transportation and land use planning to reduce the need to drive.
Lands
- Improve soil health using agricultural practices.
- Enhance local food systems.
- Increase natural carbon sequestration by enhancing native prairies and forest ecosystems and including carbon sequestration as a management goal for public lands.
Built Environment
- Move boldly on conservation, electrification, and weatherization, while prioritizing households that are eligible for energy assistance.
- Improve building codes to align with carbon reduction goals.
- Advance comprehensive waste reduction measures.
Adaptation and Resilience
- Create state and local climate adaptation plans that support tribal, county, and municipal governments while prioritizing the needs of communities burdened by pollution and cumulative climate impacts.
- Invest in climate resilient infrastructure statewide.
- Support Minnesota's fossil fuel workers and host communities.
More information about the Minnesota Climate Action Plan can be found here. Video of the public forum will be available on the House Climate Action Caucus' webpage and Facebook page.