In developing an effective plan, there are several key considerations that can be sequenced in whatever order works for your community. These considerations are similar to first three milestones in the community-wide planning process of ICLEI's Cities for Climate Protection Campaign.
- Assess the situation: Ideally, your project or interests are considered within the context of your community’s emissions profile, the major sources, trends and drivers. Then scope the breadth of considerations that could impact planning and implementation, e.g.:
- Knowledge of key stakeholders inside government and out in the community
- financial challenges and opportunities
- Renewable energy potential
- Community successes to build on
- Enabling and constraining legislation
- Best practices across the country
While not essential, you can establish an emissions baseline and business as usual forecast for your project area, e.g. a conventional greenfield development that can then be compared to a smart growth development.
A number of tools can provide guidance to assess these options, e.g. Rocky Mountain Institute’s Community Energy Opportunity Finder, and the PLACES tool developed by energy offices in a number of Western states in the resources database.
- Set Objectives: A clear objective that flows from the goal strengthens political will, organizational alignment and results. Ideally, this objective is a specific GHG reduction target with an explicit timeline; however, it could be a project commitment like a setting up a municipal utility to operate a district energy system or establishing an efficiency targets and timelines for various building typologies.
As programs evolve, technical and financial feasibility assessments will help establish increasingly precise targets and timelines.
When you set your target, consider that to avoid the most dangerous consequences of climate change, emissions need to peak no later than 2015 and then decline by 55 to 80 percent by mid-century. The Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement target of 7% reductions by 2012 is an ambitious but good short-term target.
- Identify Actions: Specific actions are narrowed down from a range of possibilities through an effective and efficient engagement process and good preliminary feasibility assessments that take into account internal financial and human resources and community capacity.
Mainstreaming Innovation and Building Government Capacity outline strategic considerations relevant to Action Plan Development, building on the initial assessment of the situation. Numerous action opportunities are identified in the sectoral areas of the Playbook: buildings, neighborhoods, and infrastructure.
