Ramsey County adopts groundbreaking Climate Equity Action Plan
On Tuesday, April 16, just a few days ahead of Earth Day, the Ramsey County Board unanimously adopted a fully integrated Climate Equity Action Plan. Developed by staff, community, and key partners the plan aims to reduce greenhouse gases and help community survive and thrive in changing climate conditions that cause harmful health impacts through poor air quality, extreme heat, flooding and more disease-carrying insects.
Ramsey County worked with community to center equity throughout the plan recognizing that climate change impacts us all but underrecognized communities tend to face the most severe impacts to their physical and mental health, and from damage to the built and natural environment, and the economy. These range from worsening physical and mental health conditions such as asthma, heart disease, depression and anxiety, damages to homes and businesses, to ecosystem imbalances like the loss of trees from Emerald Ash Borer and more Lyme disease from tick bites.
Using the Minnesota Climate Action Framework as its base, the county reviewed this framework against its existing work and then went directly to community to receive extensive input on what else was needed to respond to climate change and increase community resilience.
“By centering our community’s voices and values in the development of this Climate Equity Action Plan, we are forging a path toward true equity and sustainability for all,” said Board Chair Trista Martinson.
“Empowering communities to co-create solutions and action steps for the climate challenges they face is not just inclusive – it’s essential for building resilience and driving meaningful change,” said Deputy County Manager for the Health and Wellness Service Team Kathy Hedin.
The Climate Equity Action Plan’s mitigation and adaptation strategies focus on six areas:
- Clean transportation.
- Thriving communities.
- Healthy lives.
- Clean energy and efficient buildings.
- Climate-smart natural land.
- Clean economy.
The plan calls on the county to continue the great work that departments are already doing to respond to climate change and to identify more resources to mitigate and address the effects of climate change. This work is laid out in near-, middle-, and long-term actions across all county departments. Some near-term actions include:
- Providing technical assistance,environmental education and resources to community and partners.
- Convening a community led Equitable Climate Action Resident Advisory Team to review county progress and plans. The team will also give feedback on how to improve equitable outcomes and work with the county to establish continuous metrics to assess progress.
- Finding and coordinating funding opportunities to help implement climate work.
- Continuing the work of an internal cross-departmental Climate Change Governance Team.
- Hiring additional staff to increase capacity to implement the Climate Equity Action Plan.
As part of these near-term actions, the county will host its first Green Ramsey Expo and Career Fair at the Wilder Foundation on Wednesday, May 1 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. This free public event will feature jobs available in green-collar careers in emerging industries as well as businesses and trades that have shifted to more sustainable practices. It will also have information from a variety of organizations committed to recycling, creating green space, and environmental clean-up on hand. Job seekers and anyone interested in learning more about environmental activities in the county are encouraged to attend.
The Green Ramsey Expo and Career Fair is just one of the many ways the Climate Equity Action Plan will strive to protect Ramsey County’s residents and environment.
“A number of years ago at a National Resilient Counties Advisory Board meeting, the simple truth in the statement ‘Disasters don’t discriminate, but responses do” resonated with me’,” said Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt. “With this reality ever present in my mind, I feel so much pride today as we launch Ramsey County’s Climate Equity Action Plan with its intentional and equitable action steps to respond to climate change and increase community resilience.”
The Climate Equity Action Plan will also offer volunteer opportunities for residents interested in getting involved. The county is joining other metro partners in an urban heat island data collection campaign and will be looking for volunteers to help with that later this summer.
Read the full Ramsey County Climate Equity Action Plan
View a glossary of plan terms and definitions
Watch a Climate Equity Action Plan presentation to the press