Appendix B – Climate actions
1. Agriculture sector (5 possible actions)
Agriculture > Promote sustainable farming practices (excluding soil health/carbon sequestration actions)
Agriculture > Improve soil health/soil carbon sequestration capacity
Agriculture > Restore grasslands through rotational or prescribed grazing methods
Agriculture > Improve institutional capacity of farmer and rural organizations (e.g. educating farmers of innovative and cost-effective measures, providing financial support, etc.)
Agriculture > Reduce methane emissions from agriculture (e.g. install dairy digesters, etc.)
2. Buildings & Lighting sector (19 possible actions)
Buildings > Improve heating and cooling efficiency (e.g. audits, insulation, HVAC maintenance, white roofs, etc.)
Buildings > Increase awareness/engage public on energy efficiency/clean energy programs
Buildings > Install biomass heating
Buildings > Install clean cook stoves
Buildings > Install energy efficient lighting systems (e.g. LED)
Buildings > Install geothermal heating
Buildings > Install more efficient luminaires in outdoor lighting (e.g. LED)
Buildings > Install smart energy meters/sub-meters
Buildings > Install solar heating/hot water
Buildings > Promote and strengthen building energy performance rating/certification/benchmarking
Buildings > Require or encourage disclosure of energy information by building owners
Buildings > Promote energy efficient appliances
Buildings > Set/strengthen appliance efficiency standards
Buildings > Set/strengthen HVAC efficiency standards
Buildings > Set/strengthen lighting efficiency standards
Buildings > Switch from heating oil to natural gas
Buildings > Commit to reaching net-zero operating emissions in public buildings
Buildings > Establish a plan/roadmap for all new buildings to produce net-zero GHG emissions
Buildings > Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment participants: reducing operating emissions of government-owned building portfolio
3. Energy sector (22 possible actions)
Energy > Enable net metering
Energy > Expand/improve transmission to integrate renewables
Energy > Install natural gas power
Energy > Install biomass power
Energy > Install carbon capture and storage (CCS)
Energy > Install combined heat and power (CHP) or trigen
Energy > Install energy storage system
Energy > Install hydropower
Energy > Install microgrids
Energy > Install nuclear power
Energy > Install smart grids
Energy > Install solar power (e.g. PV, CSP)
Energy > Install geothermal power
Energy > Install wind power (e.g. onshore, offshore)
Energy > Install ocean/tidal/wave power
Energy > Measure energy productivity (e.g. GDP per unit of energy)
Energy > Promote demand-side management programs
Energy > Reform utility revenue policies and rate structures
Energy > Phase out coal-fired/inefficient power stations
Energy > Set energy efficiency resource standards (EERS)
Energy > Set a target of 100% zero-carbon power (i.e. based on a large-scale switch to renewable energy)
Energy > Control methane leaks from oil & gas operations
4. Finance & Economy sector (13 possible actions)
Finance & Economy > Adopt feed in tariff for renewables
Finance & Economy > Adopt reverse auction for renewables
Finance & Economy > Enable PACE (long term property tax based loans) financing
Finance & Economy > Establish GHG emissions trading program
Finance & Economy > Increase awareness/engage public on financing mechanisms and incentives for energy efficiency/clean energy
Finance & Economy > Invest in clean tech R&D
Finance & Economy > Issue green bonds
Finance & Economy > Promote on-bill financing
Finance & Economy > Provide green mortgages
Finance & Economy > Provide loans/guarantees for energy efficiency/clean energy
Finance & Economy > Provide tax incentives for clean energy
Finance & Economy > Support clean tech clusters/companies
Finance & Economy > Implement carbon tax
5. Governance sector (6 possible actions)
Governance > Collaborate with cities/local governments in reducing emissions/increasing resilience
Governance > Collaborate with national governments in reducing emissions/increasing resilience
Governance > Collaborate with other states/regions in reducing emissions/increasing resilience
Governance > Support and incentivize businesses in reducing emissions/increasing resilience
Governance > Support and incentivize citizens in adopting environmentally friendly practices
Governance > Complete a 2050 Pathways analysis (i.e. strategy for meeting mid-century GHG reduction goals)
6. Industry sector (6 possible actions)
Industry > Improve energy efficiency of industrial processes
Industry > Promote industrial symbiosis/industrial ecology programs
Industry > Promote reduced packaging
Industry > Support green manufacturing
Industry > Implement green public/private partnerships with industry
Industry > Support digitalization of industry
7. Land use sector (6 possible actions)
Land use > Establish GHG reduction plan for LULUCF (e.g. REDD+, etc.)
Land use > Promote conservation efforts for natural areas
Land use > Promote sustainable forest management
Land use > Promote sustainable coastal ecosystem management
Land use > Undertake strategic environmental assessment
Land use > Establish guidelines for siting renewable power
8. Transport sector (16 possible actions)
Mass Transit > Improve public transport services (e.g. adopt, high speed rail, improve bus services, improve rail services)
Mass Transit > Promote digitalization in the transport sector (e.g. real-time information)
Mass Transit > Switch freight from trucks to rail
Private Transport > Increase awareness/engage public on private transport measures
Private Transport > Install electric vehicle charging infrastructure (i.e. home, work, highways, etc.)
Private Transport > Promote alternative fuel production (e.g. biofuels, natural gas, hydrogen, etc.)
Private Transport > Set/strengthen fuel economy standards for cars/trucks
Private Transport > Set GHG emissions standards for vehicles
Private Transport > Set low-carbon fuel standard
Private Transport > Set manufacturing requirements (e.g. zero-emission vehicle standard)
Private Transport > Switch to electric/hybrid vehicles in cars/taxis/government fleets
Private Transport > Switch to other lower-carbon fuel in cars/taxis/government fleets (e.g. biofuels, natural gas, hydrogen, etc.)
Private Transport > Provide incentives for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles
Private Transport > Procure only zero-emission passenger vehicles for appropriate public fleets
Private Transport > Convert all appropriate public fleet vehicles to zero-emission vehicles
Private Transport > ZEV Challenge Participants: increasing number of ZEV’s in the public fleet
9. Waste sector (12 possible actions)
Waste > Adopt source separation policies (e.g. collection for dry recyclables, organic compostable waste, etc.)
Waste > Establish waste reduction/recycling plan
Waste > Increase awareness/engage public on waste reduction/recycling measures
Waste > Install advanced thermal treatment/waste to energy
Waste > Install anaerobic digestion
Waste > Install landfill gas management/landfill gas to energy
Waste > Install mechanical biological treatment
Waste > Install municipal recycling points or centers (for residents or businesses)
Waste > Install waste heat recovery
Waste > Implement practices and policies to promote circular economy
Waste > Reducing the municipal solid waste generation per capita
Waste > Reducing the amount of municipal solid waste disposed to landfill and incineration and increase the diversion rate away from landfill and incineration
10. Water sector (3 possible actions)
Water > Adopt wastewater to energy initiatives (e.g. methane recovery for reuse)
Water > Install smart water meters
Water > Promote water recycling or reclamation
11. Healthcare sector (3 possible actions)
Healthcare > Support hospitals and public health systems to reduce GHG emissions (e.g. renewable energy, energy efficiency, reduce waste, etc.)
Healthcare > Support hospitals and public health systems to increase resilience to climate impacts (e.g. emergency response systems, microgrids, etc.)
Healthcare > Take steps to better integrate health policy and climate policy within the government