Thanks to the hard work of the Environmental Advisory Committee, and the Green Team’s Energy subgroup, a Climate Action Plan was adopted by City Council for the years 2020 - 2025. City Council approved the updated plan on July 6, 2020 when it adopted Resolution R-47-20.  

The original Climate Action Plan was approved by City Council on January 5, 2015. It provided insight and actions through 2020. That plan is now closed out. If you’d like to know more about the City’s work on the original Climate Action Plan, take a look at the annual progress reports or view the original Climate Action Plan from 2015.

Regional Impacts of Climate Change

Climate change refers to the consequences that occur when too many greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere and trapped. These gases may come from power plants, a car’s fuel pipe, landfills, and energy usage. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trap the sun’s heat and make the Earth’s overall temperature warmer, creating changes in the climate. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) predicts that our area will likely see the following changes in climate and weather: 

• Increased heat
• Increased precipitation events, both snow and rainfall
• Increased drought

Over 100 years of data have been collected for this region. The average annual temperature, as measured in Beltsville, Maryland, has risen by 4 degrees Fahrenheit in that time. Also, sea levels in the District of Columbia have risen almost 10 inches over the past 80 years.