A Federal Agenda to Support Coastal Cities
Strong, consistent federal support is critical for adaptation and resilience efforts in coastal cities.
As New York Climate Week gets underway, leaders and activists from around the world are gathering to discuss climate solutions. Never has it been more urgent to raise the bar and advance policies that improve climate readiness in coastal cities.
While the Biden-Harris Administration has made unprecedented progress in addressing climate change, there is much more work to be done. To help the next administration foster a more equitable and sustainable future for millions of people, we’ve released Protecting Coastal Communities from Climate Impacts: An Agenda for the Next President.
Drawing on our Climate Readiness Framework for Coastal Cities, the agenda identifies how the next administration should support and invest in ocean climate solutions across our five policy themes:
Coastal Ecosystems: Conserving 30% of U.S. lands and waters and funding ecosystem restoration is critical to protecting shorelines, enhancing food security, supporting cultures and economies, and absorbing carbon.
Offshore Renewable Energy: Supporting workforce development and ensuring coastal communities benefit from energy leases, storage, and transmission will be essential to achieving a just transition.
Infrastructure: Investing in resilience and adaptation projects for seaports, airports, and water management systems is required to create climate ready coastal infrastructure.
Community Resilience: Funding community participation in climate planning, incentivizing businesses to develop green jobs, and increasing funding for emergency relief can help residents better prepare for, withstand, and respond to climate change.
Climate-Driven Relocation: Developing robust revenue streams to support relocating communities, embedding relocation strategies in federal climate plans, and facilitating collaboration between interested parties is necessary for more equitable and just climate relocation.
Climate impacts will continue to intensify over the next presidential term and beyond, and strong, consistent federal support will be critical to adaptation and resilience efforts in coastal cities.
Alexandra Carter
Policy Director