## Sign on Letter asking the Hennepin County Board to Approve and Implement their Climate Action Plan with updated targets

Cities, Commissions & Organizations can sign on to his letter by 4/15 or use it to write your own letter and share it with us.

#### Our City is working with other cities to meet our city climate goals. We call on the Hennepin County Board to approve, fully fund and implement a strong Climate Action Plan that will:

- • Achieve county-wide GHG emissions reductions of 50% by 2030, 80% by 2040 and Net Zero by 2050 [from a baseline of 2005, updating the 2007 Cool Counties Commitment to match current science].
- • We commit our cities and organizations to work with the County & other cities/jurisdictions to achieve these goals together, while advancing racial equity, climate resilience and shared economic vitality.

To achieve coordinated city and county-wide GHG emission reduction targets we support the County’s Climate Action Plan which states: “Goal: Partner in ways that can be most impactful with public entity partners and with community organizations.

#### Objective:

Explore and pursue partnership models driven by mutual climate change goals.

Strategies: Pursue strategies with the clearest direction forward”

- • long term, integrated planning that includes jointly collecting and analyzing data and modeling with a • long term, integrated planning that includes jointly collecting and analyzing data and modeling with a lens on health and racial equity.
- • localized flooding and coordinate regional storm water resiliency efforts. • localized flooding and coordinate regional storm water resiliency efforts.
- • transportation, buildings [we would add: & energy supply in ways that strengthen equity, local • transportation, buildings [we would add: & energy supply in ways that strengthen equity, local economies & resilience]
- • would add: Expand carbon sequestration, tree canopy, native landscaping, soil health, land conservation • would add: Expand carbon sequestration, tree canopy, native landscaping, soil health, land conservation
- • and engage the public, [and institutions and businesses] in taking collective action. • and engage the public, [and institutions and businesses] in taking collective action.
- • a collective voice for climate policy at the local, state [and federal] level.” • a collective voice for climate policy at the local, state [and federal] level.”

Hennepin County’s leadership County’s leadership and convening role with other public entities could co-create joint initiatives to meet mutual climate goals. This would enable the 41 cities within Hennepin County to scale up implementation of high- impact, equitable, low-carbon, resilient policies & projects county-wide during this vital decade. We ask the Hennepin County Board ask the Hennepin County Board and staff to include language in your Board Resolution and in the text of the Plan that would:

- 1. Direct the County Administrator and all Department lead staff to fully support and empower county department staff to implement the Climate Action Plan to meet GHG reduction targets county-wide, and regularly report results,
- 2. Prioritize application of a Racial Equity lens and Climate Justice considerations in all facets of the Plan. Representing 25% of the population in Minnesota, the County should play a lead role in our state to reduce racial disparities and strengthen climate, economic and community resilience. We know that budgets and investments are an expression of our commitment to Equity – we can accomplish this by innovating
- 2. Prioritize application of a Racial Equity lens and Climate Justice considerations in all facets of the Plan. Representing 25% of the population in Minnesota, the County should play a lead role in our state to reduce racial disparities and strengthen climate, economic and community resilience. We know that budgets and investments are an expression of our commitment to Equity – we can accomplish this by innovating
- and changing “business as usual” practices, changing the operating culture within County departments, developing partnerships between public entities and BIPOC community organizations, and funding the Climate Action Plan initiatives in 2022 & future budgets.
- 3. Include priority deliverables/benchmarks with reporting requirements/dates for County Departments
- a. Bi-Annual Performance Reviews of the County’s Climate Action Plan Implementation with partners.
- Update baseline metrics, data gathering and reporting systems for county operations and county-wide indicators with partner jurisdictions (with external reviewed.) Also conduct a consumption-based emissions inventory. Use results to create a more comprehensive approach to climate change mitigation.