Met Council Climate Action Work Plan

Metropolitan Council & Buro Happold Consulting Engineers, Saint Paul, MN, 2022

Background
As society continues to see the effects of climate change, governmental organizations at all levels are working to incorporate climate planning and mitigation efforts into their day-to-day work. As the regional policy-making body, planning agency, and provider of essential services for the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Metropolitan Council (Met Council) is undertaking significant planning efforts, including the development of a Climate Action Work Plan. While tackling environmental threats and identifying ways to mitigate challenges, Met Council is also working on a framework to incorporate increased environmental justice into the final plan.

Strengths & Solutions
Young Environmental served as an independent consultant to provide feedback on Met Council’s environmental justice framework. The draft included quantitative and qualitative assessment scorecards, environmental justice-focused climate implementation strategies, lessons learned, and guidance and best practices for a more comprehensive approach to justice. We provided recommendations for water resources management and equity best practices with a localized knowledge. Through stakeholder meetings, we discussed and analyzed the framework to ensure it is an effective component of the plan.

Project Impact
The plan was approved and adopted in December 2022. Beginning in 2023, we will continue to assist with implementation, by providing geographic locations that have been screened for environmental justice opportunities. We will identify implementation strategies and define actions to screen them through an equity lens. The plan not only provides a clear approach to mitigate future impacts of climate change, but simultaneously addresses racial inequalities of the past. This comprehensive goal will ensure Twin Cities’ communities are not only safer, but also more equitable and vibrant.

Climate Planning, Environmental Justice, Stakeholder Engagement