Southeast Michigan Council of Governments Priority Climate Action Plan
Climate Action Plan
Climate action supports healthier, more affordable living in Southeast Michigan
Client
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
Population
4,830,000
Schedule
2023-2025
The Problem
In 2023, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) received a federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant giving them five months to identify implementation-ready projects that would dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating good jobs, improving quality of life, and reducing the energy burden faced by 1.3 million disadvantaged residents.
The Problem
How can Southeast Michigan governments reduce emissions while improving air quality in disadvantaged communities?
723k
low-income residents living in neighbourhoods with high air pollution and/or facing high energy bills
50M
metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and industry in 2019
The Solution
SEMCOG’s tight timeline required moving on different fronts simultaneously. Part of SSG’s team worked with a task force of over 65 governments, NGOs, private companies, and community groups to evaluate shovel-ready initiatives. Meanwhile SSG’s technical staff quantified emissions and energy cost reductions for selected projects, and identified ways to ensure low-income and disadvantaged communities would benefit first. The approach resulted in practical projects that could be implemented immediately—like an Energy Advisor Program to help homeowners reduce energy pollution and costs—as well as a comprehensive Priority Climate Action Plan.
The Plan prioritizes projects that rapidly lower emissions from electricity generation, industry, transportation, buildings, agriculture, and waste while enhancing natural areas to sequester carbon. Every measure was suggested or supported by local governments and regional stakeholders in Southeast Michigan. Many of them will create good jobs, reduce long-term energy costs, and improve housing, waste management, and transportation systems.
The Outcome
Measures identified in SEMCOG’s Priority Climate Action Plan will result in:
~115
new jobs annually for every $1 million invested in climate action
$1,300
average reduction in annual household energy bills
*as compared to a business-as-planned scenario. See the SEMCOG Priority Climate Action Plan for more details.
Outcome
Key Takeaways
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