This toolbox contains 74 actions already taken by cities, counties, and regional governments which can mitigate the deterioration of the Earth’s climate. Feel free to adapt them to your region.
For details about the Actions offered by the Toolbox see the Overview
Use this filter to find local actions by region, sector, or state
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Use General Plans to Guide Renewables Development and Reduce Climate Emissions from Fossil Fuel Use
Equity, Natural & Working Lands, Transportation & Land Use / July 30, 2023Description: City and county Comprehensive Plans, also known as General Plans or Master Plans, are long-range plans that guide decision-making; establish rules and standards for development and improvements; and help …
E-bike vouchers to reduce VMT
Equity, Transportation & Land Use / July 26, 2023Description: Denver residents are receiving instant rebates to buy e-bikes (battery powered bikes) following the city’s implementation of a new program to address unhealthy ozone levels. The city’s program aims …
Restrict fossil fuel infrastructure development – industrial scale facilities
Energy, Industry, Transportation & Land Use / June 28, 2023Description: Los Angeles, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Portland, Oregon; Vancouver, Washington; and other cities across America are passing ordinances that prevent the fossil fuel industry from building or expanding fossil fuel …
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Fossil Fuel Divestment
Community Education & Action / April 22, 2023Description: Students, retirees, faith-based organizations, and others are acting to stop or withdraw investment in the fossil fuel industry. Activists around the country are calling for similar actions by pension …
Creating Solar Microgrids for Clean Energy and Resilience
Buildings, Energy / April 22, 2023Description: Creating a local microgrid improved resilience, expanded local clean energy production, and reduced dependence on transmission lines and remote electricity generation for the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD). …
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Community Solar Projects
Energy, Equity / March 26, 2023Description: Communities around the country are benefiting from access to community solar projects, a distributed solar energy deployment model that allows customers to buy or lease part of a larger, …
Regional air district adopts rule phasing out gas-fired heating appliances
Air Pollution Agencies, Buildings / March 23, 2023Description: In March of 2023 the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) adopted first-in-nation rules to phase out and eventually prohibit the sale of new natural gas-fired water heaters …
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Prohibiting Natural Gas (methane) Infrastructure in New Buildings
Buildings / January 24, 2023Description: This adopted ordinance will prohibit installation of natural gas (methane) infrastructure in new buildings in the city of Berkeley, CA. The ordinance relies on police powers granted by the …
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Reduce VMT by Zoning – Urban Agriculture
Transportation & Land Use / November 29, 2022Description: Urban agriculture refers to the growing and raising of crops and livestock within a municipality’s boundaries for local consumption. Often the food is for the use of the grower …
Year-Round Community Garden
Community Education & Action, Transportation & Land Use / November 27, 2022Description: The Skidmore College Student Garden is an extension of the College’s Food System Initiative where food grown in the student garden is provided to the college’s dining hall thereby …
Climate Parking Fee
Equity, Transportation & Land Use / September 30, 2022Description: The Department of Transportation of Portland, Oregon has increased the cost of parking at city parking meters by $0.20 per transaction to both send a signal to the public …
Restrict fossil fuel infrastructure development – retail facilities
Energy, Industry, Transportation & Land Use / August 12, 2022Description: In 2019, the City of Petaluma, CA adopted an “Urgency Ordinance” imposing a temporary moratorium on new fueling station uses within the City. The temporary moratorium provided time for …
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Multi-Building Geothermal Heat Pump Systems
Buildings, Energy / June 22, 2022Description: Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana replaced four aging coal-fired boilers with a campus-wide geothermal heat pump heating and cooling system. Built in two phases from 2009 to 2014, …
Use the ULEZ to improve air quality and reduce pollution
Equity, Transportation & Land Use / March 17, 2022Description: In 2003, London made history by becoming the first city after Singapore to introduce congestion pricing for vehicles entering the Congestion Charge Zone in Central London. Following initial implementation …
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Commercial Building Deep Energy Retrofit
Buildings, Energy / March 17, 2022Description: To reduce carbon emissions from buildings, the City of New York enacted Local Law 97 (LL97) in 2019 as a part of the Climate Mobilization Act. This leading-edge law …
Adopt Climate Emergency Resolution
Community Education & Action / March 09, 2022Description: Cities, counties, and states in the U.S., and communities around the world, are formally adopting resolutions acknowledging that human activities have warmed the Earth to a point that threatens …
Using Low Risk Opt-in Loans to Decarbonize Buildings Equitably
Buildings, Energy, Equity / March 04, 2022Description: In 2019, the Common Council of Ithaca, New York approved the Ithaca Green New Deal (IGND), which allowed the city to assign additional staff and resources to create and …
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Power generation from renewable sources
Water / November 12, 2021Description: The use of digester gas driven fuel cells allows the Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) in Riverside County, CA to run some of its Moreno Valley and Perris Valley …
Use waste heat
Water / November 12, 2021Description: Recover/Productively Use Waste Heat – Many water and wastewater treatment facilities, including the Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) in Riverside County, CA, implement heat recovery to reduce overall energy …
Reduce heat island effect
Parks & Cool Streets / November 11, 2021Description: Temperatures in urban areas are rising as a result of climate change. In Los Angeles, the Bureau of Street Services conducted a pilot study in 2017 to investigate the …
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