Let’s take action together!
On Wednesday, April 7th, 2021, the Town Council voted to adopt the Town’s Climate Action and Response Plan. The Council also adopted a resolution declaring a climate emergency and requested that the Town Manager provide funding options as part of the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget process.
View the plan by clicking here.
Download a copy of the plan by clicking here.
Supporting materials:
Latest Carbon Emissions Inventories
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Forecast
See below for additional materials
What has happened since the plan was adopted?
As a next step, the Council voted to incorporate the adopted plan into the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.
Then, as part of the annual budget process, Council set aside funding to help implement the plan.
In September of 2021, staff presented a more detailed implementation plan that is based on Council’s adopted 2021-22 budget.
Implementation is now ongoing and progress updates are being shared quarterly.
Are there other ways to learn more about the plan and how to get involved?
Reach out to John Richardson:
sustainability@townofchapelhill.org
919.969.5075
Want to learn more basics about Chapel Hill’s climate action plan?
Watch our video presentation below, or read the transcript.
Note: see the draft plan for the latest on community emissions estimates.
Other language options for the video:
Spanish: video
Mandarin Chinese: video
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and ForecastCarbon Reduction Measures
Project Overview
The Town of Chapel Hill is creating a Climate Action and Response Plan that outlines how we can work together as a community to address the impacts of climate change and advance racial equity. The goal of the Plan is to identify the most meaningful actions we can begin to take over the next five years.
Climate action is any activity that reduces our greenhouse gas emissions, or that helps us respond to our changing climate by making Chapel Hill a stronger and more resilient community. Climate equity means that everyone benefits from the solutions to address climate change, and no one is burdened or left out. This requires intentional efforts to change the systems and structures that worsen climate change and inequity.
Why do we care about greenhouse gas emissions?
Greenhouse gas emissions are causing the earth to warm, and this is changing our climate. Greenhouse gas emissions come from burning fossil fuels like coal, gasoline, and natural gas. They are produced by sources like the power plant that supplies electricity to our homes and businesses, and by the fuel we burn in our cars and trucks.
While climate change is a global issue, it's also a local one. We're already experiencing climate change in Chapel Hill. This includes more extreme weather events that lead to things like flooding, drought, and severe storms. The Town Council has a goal to reduce carbon emissions and make Chapel Hill a 100% clean energy community by the year 2050. We must all work together to make this happen.
Upcoming Virtual Events
May 18, 2021 - Planning Commission
June 9, 2021 - Town Council Public Hearing (tentative)
June 23, 2021 - Town Council Business Meeting (tentative)
The meetings above are part of a legislative process to have the Town Council consider incorporating the Council-adopted plan (April 7, 2021) into the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.
In response to COVID-19, the Town has canceled all in-person public meetings and is holding virtual meetings until further notice.
Past Events
April 7, 2021 - Town Council to Review Revised Plan (plan adopted)
January 27, 2021 - Town Council to Review Draft Plan
January 14, 2021 - Stormwater Management Utility Advisory Board
January 4, 2021 - Community Design Commission
December 15, 2020 - Virtual Office Hours
December 8, 2020 - Environmental Stewardship Advisory Board
December 8, 2020 - Virtual Office Hours
December 10, 2020 - Housing Advisory Board
December 3, 2020 - Justice in Action Committee
December 1, 2020 - Planning Commission
December 1, 2020 - Virtual Office Hours
November 24, 2020 - Virtual Office Hours
November 17, 2020 - Parks, Greenways and Recreation Commission
November 16, 2020 - Transportation and Connectivity Advisory Board
November 12, 2020 - Human Services Advisory Board
October 21, 2020 - Climate Action Plan Progress Report to Council
CANCELED March 19, 2020 - Joint Advisory Board Meeting*
CANCELED March 26, 2020 - Joint Advisory Board Meeting*
February 28, 2020 - Community Partners Climate Summit
*Meeting canceled due to COVID-19
Virtual Office Hours
Project staff are available to discuss the project from 3:00-4:00 pm EST on the dates listed below using the Zoom videoconference service. Project staff are also available by appointment.
(No additional sessions scheduled at this time)
For any of the dates above, register for the meeting series by clicking on the registration link below. You can select one or more of the meetings to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting series.
Climate Action Opinion Survey
COVID-19 reached our community just as the public engagement portion of the project was getting underway. The project team pivoted to an online survey to continue the conversation. The purpose of this survey was to share what the Town had learned about climate change for our local context and to get the perspective of residents and other stakeholders about the challenges and opportunities they see for addressing it in Chapel Hill. The survey was issued in English, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.
Results of multiple choice questions
Interactive analysis of multiple choice questions
Additional Supporting Materials
For more information about the data and calculations we used to develop our greenhouse gas emissions inventories, projections and reduction models, you can visit the Town’s Open Data Portal.
Project Staff
For more information, contact:
John Richardson
Community Resilience Officer
sustainability@townofchapelhill.org
(919) 969-5075