In December 2023, the Region IV Economic Development District of Minnesota, comprised of elected officials, West Central Initiative board members, and other EDA-required interest groups, approved the region’s first Climate Action Plan. A monumental moment, indeed.
The Climate Action Plan is a product of extensive research, consultation with experts, and engagement with the community to provide a holistic and pragmatic approach to addressing climate change. The plan includes 40 strategies and 273 actions across eight sectors over the course of eight years.
As the federally designated planning organization for the region, West Central Initiative was a primary driver and partner in developing this regional roadmap to address climate issues. At the heart of our strategic framework are our priorities of people, planet, and prosperity. As part of our work, we promote new strategies that increase environmental sustainability and resiliency, honor our unique geographic assets, and help to ensure our children have the natural environments they need to grow and thrive.
The impetus for the development of the Climate Action Plan stretches back to our strategic planning process in 2019, when we adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our strategic framework. These 17 goals are ambitious, interdependent targets for protecting and preserving a world where everyone can thrive and everyone belongs. Using the SDGs as a North Star puts us in a global community of millions of people working on the same trajectory, but also illustrates how action at a local level is essential for progress.
What’s next for us and the Climate Action Plan? Mobilization. Bold ideas are only as strong as the bold action that follows. For us, this means using many of the tools we’ve leveraged the last 37 years—fundraising, granting, convening, and technical assistance—and trend-testing new ones. We’re adding programs and creating new roles to integrate this work in our communities.
With our planet in mind, we encourage everyone to seize opportunities, try new things, and learn from each other to ensure our one common asset, Earth, is protected for future generations.