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Climate Action and Adaptation

Our Vision is to lead efforts to make sure our community anticipates and responds equitably to impacts of a changing climate.


 		  

The Centre Region Climate Action and Adaptation Plan was adopted by the General Forum on November 22, 2021.

    

The Centre Region Council of Governments (COG), in collaboration with the six member municipalities, developed a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) to make the Centre Region a more healthy, equitable, resilient, and sustainable community.

    

 As part of this process, the following actions have occurred:

    

  

Community Input

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The foundation of the Plan has been built upon community input received from a region-wide statistically valid survey, a community-wide forum conducted by Penn State, and countless meetings with the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee, General Forum updates, and hundreds of postings on social media. We will continue to initiate and facilitate community conversations about climate action to:

  • Promote an understanding of the purpose and motivation for the creation of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP).
  • Use the input to guide decision making and prioritization of strategies to include in the CAAP.
  • Build broader ownership of the decisions that must be made.
  • Enhance community readiness to participate in collective problem-solving.
  

Want to learn more about the climate action and adaptation planning process?  https://www.crcog.net/CAAPprocess 

Learn more about climate impacts: https://centresustains.com/climate    

Visit Centre County's Public Opinion on Climate Change factsheet from the Yale Program on Climate Change Community

 

 CAAP Sectors and Objectives

Strategies and specific actions that municipal government and the local community can take are included in the CAAP based on the best practices identified in 2020 and the public engagement in 2021.

 

SECTORS

 OBJECTIVES
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BUILDINGS AND ENERGY

 
  1. Improve energy efficiency in existing buildings
  2. Increase the number of new buildings and homes that are net zero energy ready, affordable and resilient
  3. Maximize efficiency of municipal facilities, equipment and operation
  4. Enhance resiliency throughout the community
 lighting bolt  RENEWABLE ENERGY
  1. Develop a resilient energy portfolio through diversified sources and local generation
  2. Improve access to affordable clean energy for residents and small organizations
  3. Support clean energy policy and growth
 Bike SUSTAINABILITY TRANSPORTATION
  1. Encourage driving cleaner, more efficient vehicles and traffic operations
  2. Reduce the trips with one driver
  3. Align land use and housing with transportation infrastructure to increase access to walking, biking and public transit.
  4. Improve and build resilience into our transportation systems
 trash can  SOLID WASTE  
  1. Encourage reducing waste at the source in municipal operations, homes and businesses
  2. Increase diversion in municipal operations, homes and businesses
  3. Improve efficiencies of waste management
  4. Support locally produced products

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 LAND MANAGEMENT  
  1. Educate, encourage and promote sustainable agricultural, forest and land management practices
  2. Promote and support rebuilding soil and sustainable practices that sequester carbon
  3. Reduce reliance on carbon heavy fuel sources
  4. Support land managers becoming more resilient
 water drops  CLEAN HEALTHY WATER
  1. Manage flooding and reduce erosion impacts on infrastructure
  2. Grow and maintain a healthy tree canopy (urban, suburban, rural, forest)
  3. Increase the region's resiliency by restoring, protecting and conserving community water resources
  4. Restore and protect ecosystems and promote ecosystem resilience