Columbia’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) lays out a vision and strategy to address risks posed by climate change and contribute to international efforts to draw down greenhouse gas emissions.
Our plan outlines goals for reducing community greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2035, by 80% by 2050, and by 100% by 2060. The goals for reducing municipal operations emissions are 50% by 2035 and 100% by 2050.
This report provides an update on our progress towards meeting the goals of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP), as an organization and as a community. The annual report also outlines upcoming priority issues and areas of focus. For primary metrics being tracked, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Each year, the Office of Sustainability staff conducts greenhouse gas inventories to measure both community and municipal operations greenhouse gas emissions. This report has two sections; the Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report and the Municipal Greenhouse Gas Inventory report.
Implementing the CAAP requires motivating staff, finding funding for strategies, involving community members to make key changes and sustaining momentum. Columbia has already taken steps to improve community sustainability. The implementation of the CAAP strategies is a priority for Columbia. The table below provides all of the CAAP strategies in a format to allow for ease of tracking progress on implementation.
The effects of increased global greenhouse gas emissions threaten Columbia’s resources and quality of life. Extreme heat, drought, higher incidence of extreme severe storms, and reduced air quality are growing threats in Columbia due to climate change. By taking action now to reduce our community’s contribution to worldwide emissions and prepare for climate risks, the City of Columbia can better protect the well-being of its residents for decades to come.
In 2017, the City of Columbia launched the development of its first Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP). The Plan is the product of over a year-long public and stakeholder engagement process that included three community workshops, online public surveys, presentations at board and commission meetings, engagement at community events, collaboration with concurrent planning efforts and close collaboration with an internal municipal team and the Mayor’s Task Force on Climate Action & Adaptation Planning. The CAAP will live on this site and this page provides more details on how the Plan was developed. You may also download a copy of the Council-Approved Plan for reading offline.
The plan was written for the community and by the community. Significant contributors included the public, the Mayor’s Task Force on Climate Action & Adaptation Planning (Task Force), and City staff. In development since 2017 and consisting of multiple community and City of Columbia Staff workshops, Task Force meetings, and public surveys, this plan focuses on effective actions. These actions achieve the greatest emission reductions and increase our community preparedness in the most cost-effective and equitable manner. The entire community—businesses, residents, and municipal government—all have a role in both implementing the plan and enjoying its benefits.
