Ready for Tomorrow
The Plan
Climate Resolve understands the complexities of climate preparedness planning. “Ready for Tomorrow” is our program to connect disadvantaged communities (DACs) and disadvantaged vulnerable communities (DVCs) in Southern California to climate planning research, funding, and resources. The “Ready for Tomorrow” program is generously supported by philanthropic grant funding from Edison International.
Grant Writing Assistance Program
Launched in 2020, Climate Resolve’s Ready for Tomorrow Grant Writing Assistance Program has assisted jurisdictions across the Southern California region in winning approximately $9 million in climate-related grant funding.
“Climate Resolve’s Ready for Tomorrow program aligns with Edison’s strategic positioning and goals to help vulnerable communities build capacity and access resources to address the climate crisis. The cost to invest in climate adaptation now is far less than the cost of inaction both for the economy and for public health and safety.”
Larry Chung
Vice President, Local Public Affairs
Southern California Edison
Report: “Ready for Tomorrow? A Snapshot of Climate Preparedness Planning in Southern California”
Our January 2020 report “Ready for Tomorrow? A Snapshot of Climate Preparedness Planning in Southern California” describes the current status of climate preparedness planning in Southern California Edison’s service territory and offers best practices of identified plans. The report also provides highlights from interviews with relevant stakeholders who have been involved in climate preparedness planning. Additionally, the report gives recommendations for state agencies, industry, and/or philanthropy to address gaps identified in the research.
Matrix: Status of Municipal Climate Preparedness Planning
Our research includes a comprehensive assessment of climate preparedness planning by more than 200 municipalities throughout SCE’s service territory, which we compiled into a searchable Matrix.
L.A. CAP Map
In 2021, The Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability (LARC) prepared its L.A. CAP Map using Climate Resolve’s Matrix as the primary data source. The L.A. CAP Map shows the progress made by Southern California cities in creating Climate Action Plans (CAP), Local Hazard Mitigation Plans, and integrating adaptation into their plans per SB 379.
Climate Planning Resources
Climate Resolve recommends the following guidance for municipalities in their development of climate preparedness planning documents.
Icons denote resource guidance for the following:
Funding
Hazard Mitigation Planning
Policy Tracking
SB 379 (Climate Adaptation and Resiliency)
SB 1000 (Environmental Justice), Equity, & Vulnerable Communities
Southern California Guidance
Southern California Regional Association of Governments (SCAG) Green Region Initiative Sustainability Indicators Maps are designed to be a tool for jurisdictions within the SCAG region to measure and track sustainability progress across 12 categories (Active Transportation, Adaptation, Built Environment, Climate Action, Energy, Engagement, Health, Motorized Transportation, Open Space, Urban Greening, Waste, and Water). The maps contain SB 535 Disadvantaged Communities overlays, detailed descriptions, and resources relevant to the 28 individual indicators.
Gateway Cities Council of Government (COG) Climate Action Planning Framework is intended to help individual communities advance their goals for economic development, public health, air quality, climate resiliency, equity, and job creation while planning for the impacts of climate change. The Framework includes greenhouse gas emissions data for many of the COG cities, toolkits for climate change adaptation and public engagement, and guidance for climate action plans, as well as for CEQA and implementation funding.
Regional Climate Adaptation Framework by SCAG assists local and regional jurisdictions in managing the negative impacts of climate change. As a part of the framework, SCAG developed the Southern California Climate Adaptation Planning Guide as a resource for local planning that describes the range of climate change hazards the SCAG region is likely to face in the coming decades. It also describes adaptation principles geared to the region, and outlines a general process of adaptation planning that can be applied by any agency.
State Guidance
California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research General Plan Guidelines serves as the “how to” resource for drafting a municipality’s blueprint for development and vision for the future, including how to address climate change. The Guidelines provide resources to comply with SB 379, which requires all cities and counties in California to incorporate climate adaptation and resiliency into the general plan safety element, or in another related planning document, such as a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, by January 1, 2022. Additionally, the Guidelines provide principles for complying with SB 1000, a requirement to incorporate environmental justice into the general plan that can overlap with SB 379 and ensure that communities vulnerable to climate change are safeguarded.
California’s Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (ICARP) is designed to be a cohesive and coordinated response to the impacts of climate change across State, local, and regional levels. A primary component of the Program is the State Adaptation Clearinghouse (ResilientCA.org) which serves as a centralized source of information and resources to assist decision-makers at the State, tribal, regional, and local levels when planning for and implementing climate adaptation and resiliency efforts across California. ICARP host the Adaptation Planning Guide (APG) in the Clearinghouse to provide helpful tools, describe various types of plans and processes, and explains how to integrate adaptation efforts across sectors and jurisdictions. The ICARP Technical Advisory Council also helped create the resource guide, “Defining Vulnerable Communities In The Context Of Climate Adaptation” to guide equity discussions in climate planning.
The Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation (ARCCA) represents leading collaborative networks from across California that strive to build regional resilience to climate impacts. ARCCA tracks California climate policy throughout the legislative session, hosts frequent learning sessions with California leaders, manages a robust resiliency listserv, and provides relevant toolkits on fostering regional collaboration.
Federal Guidance
Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) Local Mitigation Planning Handbook is the official guide for local governments to develop, update and implement local mitigation plans. The Handbook provides guidance to local governments on developing or updating hazard mitigation plans to meet the requirements for FEMA approval and eligibility to apply for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs. The Handbook also offers practical approaches, tools, worksheets, and local mitigation planning examples for how communities can engage in effective planning to reduce long-term risk from natural hazards and disasters.
Equity Guidance
Urban Sustainability Directors Network and Raimi + Associate’s Guide to Equitable Community-Driven Climate Preparedness Planning is a planning guide meant to assist local governments and organizations to design and implement more inclusive and equitable planning processes.
The Movement Strategy Center’s Community-Driven Climate Resilience Planning: A Framework outlines the principles, practices and vital roles community organizations and residents can create that target their unique assets and threats.
Asian Pacific Environmental Network’s Mapping Resilience Report includes background on communities disproportionately impacted by climate change-related disasters in California; information on key existing indicators, data, tools, and analytical frameworks for understanding the intersection of climate impacts, health and well-being outcomes, socioeconomic vulnerability, and adaptive capacity factors; lessons learned and major data limitations and knowledge gaps; and anticipated uses of indicators to advance key fields and policies, as well as opportunities for working with other nonprofits, academic institutions, and public agencies to advance the development and effective use of useful indicators.
Other Planning Guidance
Ready-to-Fund Resilience Toolkit was created through a partnership between the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP) and Climate Resilience Consulting (CRC). The toolkit is designed as a self-guided resource for local government staff and the technical assistance providers and walks users through ten characteristics to integrate into climate resilience projects to ensure they’re ready to receive the funding and finance needed for success. It provides tips for overcoming challenges such as lack of resources, funding, or political will and a mismatch between older plans and community needs.
A Practical Guide to Building Climate Resilience takes the Geos Institute’s Whole Community Resilience framework and walks an individual through creating a climate resilience plan for their community. It’s been created as a Do-It-Yourself guide, pointing readers to free resources where available and incorporating lessons learned from experts in the climate resilience field. Each step covers a number of tasks, from creating a local task force, finding climate data, and hosting workshops and other community engagement events.
Contact
If you have questions or comments about any of the information on this webpage, please contact the Technical Project Manager, Kris Eclarino at keclarino@climateresolve.org
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