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DEP Launches Next Round Of Local Climate Action Program, New Webpage

On June 30, DEP announced it will be accepting expressions of interest from municipalities in participating in the next round of the Local Climate Action Program which helps communities develop local greenhouse gas inventories and climate action plans.

DEP also launched a new Local Climate Action Program webpage that provides communities with the tools to develop their own inventories and action plans at their own pace.

DEP made the announcement at the June 30 Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting.

Up to 20 municipalities will be selected to participate in the next round of the Program. Work is just being completed on the initial 20 communities participating in the Program. Read more here.

Under the Program, local governments are matched with college students across the state and trained by a DEP contractor, ICLEI USA, to develop GHG inventories and climate action plans.

Through a series of live training webinars and one-on-one technical assistance, ICLEI guides the student/local government teams in creating GHG inventories and climate action plans.

Teams are provided access to ICLEI’s ClearPath inventory tool to create local GHG inventories in the fall.

They undertake the climate action planning process in the spring. This includes community engagement via in-person workshops, virtual meetings, or online surveys.

Recognizing that local governments engage in climate action under varying time frames and thus may not be able to participate in the new cohort or would like to work at their own pace, DEP, will also provide access to the ICLEI technical staff and ClearPath inventory tool via a special subscription.

Utilizing the following LCAP resources, those communities can develop GHG inventories and climate action plans at their own pace.

Note: There are two restrictions on the subscription: communities with a population of 500,000 or more are ineligible, as are communities that have had an active ICLEI membership since June 1, 2017.

The Local Climate Action Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s State Energy Program.

For more information, visit DEP’s Local Climate Action Program webpage. Questions should be directed to Heidi Kunka by sending an email to: hkunka@pa.gov or call 717-214-4243.

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-- AP: House Democratic Climate Plan Would End Greenhouse Gas Emissions By 2050

-- The Guardian: U.S. House Democrats Say They Have A Bold Climate Plan, But Republicans Have Other Plans