Title
Olympia 2045 - Comprehensive Plan Climate Chapter Briefing
Recommended Action
Information only. No action requested.
Report
Issue:
Discussion on the Comprehensive Plan Climate Chapter.
Staff Contact:
Pamela Braff, PhD, Director of Climate Programs, Office of Community Vitality, 360.753.8249
Presenter(s):
Pamela Braff, PhD, Director of Climate Programs
Background and Analysis:
Growth Management Act (GMA)
The GMA (RCW 36.70A) establishes a framework for comprehensive planning in Washington State. It includes statewide planning goals that each jurisdiction must balance locally. Some of the primary objectives of the GMA are to protect resource lands of long-term commercial significance (agricultural, forestry, and mineral resource lands), to plan for growth in urban areas where it can be served with a full range of urban services, to prevent sprawl, and to protect environmentally sensitive areas.
Planning for climate change and resiliency was added as the 14th goal to the GMA in 2023, by adoption of House Bill 1181 (Chapter 228, Laws of 2023). The GMA now requires local comprehensive plans to have sub-elements to address climate resilience and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
• The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission sub-element - with goals and policies to reduce GHG emissions and vehicle miles traveled - is mandatory for the state’s 11 largest counties (of which Thurston County is one) and for cities located within those counties that have a population size greater than 6,000; thus, this requirement applies to Olympia.
• The Resilience sub-element - with goals and polices to improve climate preparedness, response and recovery efforts - is mandatory for all fully planning counties and cities under the GMA and is encouraged for others.
Climate Action & Resilience Chapter
The new Climate Action & Resilience chapter will address both climate mitigation (the reduction of greenhouse gases) and resiliency (the ability to adapt to our changing climate). The overarching goals of this chapter are to:
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Reduce vehicle miles traveled.
• Improve climate preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
• Maximize co-benefits and prioritize environmental justice in the development of policies/programs to achieve these goals.
Several related plans and projects will inform the development of this chapter, including the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan (completed in 2020), the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan (completed in 2019), and the Olympia Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (initiated in 2023).
The development of the Climate Action and Resilience Chapter will be led by an internal cross-departmental staff team (Climate Policy Advisory Team), with several opportunities for community feedback and guidance along the way. During this briefing, staff will provide an update on the climate chapter update approach, anticipated timeline, and community engagement strategy.
Climate Analysis:
Development of the Comprehensive Plan Climate Element will support long-term planning for climate mitigation (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions reduction) and resilience.
Equity Analysis:
Climate change affects everyone. However, some people and communities in Olympia (sometimes referred to as frontline communities) will experience greater impacts due to their age, race, gender, health, where they live, or what they do for work.
Prioritizing environmental justice and maximizing co-benefits for frontline communities is a key goal of the climate chapter. To achieve this, the project team will involve frontline communities in developing the climate goals and policies to the greatest extent feasible and evaluate the potential of each proposed measure to support environmental justice. Work is ongoing to develop an equitable engagement strategy for the climate chapter update.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
There is considerable community interest in climate action (including greenhouse gas reduction and resilience). Multiple opportunities for community engagement and feedback will be provided throughout this project.
Options:
None - No action requested.
Financial Impact:
Updating the Comprehensive Plan is a significant investment of staff resources. The City has received a Climate Planning Grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce, which will help cover expenses related to developing the Climate Action and Resilience Chapter.
Attachments:
Olympia 2045 Climate Chapter Webpage