That question guided the Arizona Sustainable Economic Development Learning Lab, a first-of-its-kind pilot convened by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) in partnership with the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and Prosperity Strategies.  

This innovative Learning Lab defines sustainable economic development practices as those that build future social, economic, and environmental needs into solutions for present challenges and opportunities. 

The Lab equipped economic development professionals –defined broadly as community, business, and non-profit leaders and other stakeholders involved in local and regional economic development- with practical tools, case studies, and networks to build resilience into local economies—advancing projects that strengthen prosperity while addressing Arizona’s heat, drought, and flooding challenges. 

Over several months, 35 participants representing cities, towns, Tribal nations, nonprofits, small businesses, utilities, and academic institutions completed a hands-on curriculum organized around four key elements: knowledge, resources, networks, and practice. Many participants then developed a capstone project to field-test lessons learned and model locally-driven approaches to sustainable economic development. 

The Solutions Showcase, hosted at the Flinn Foundation in Phoenix on Tuesday, Oct. 14th , marked the culmination of this pilot. Thirteen innovative projects highlighted the creativity and determination of Arizona’s local leaders, from community gardens in Yuma that double as heat refuges and workforce pipelines for the agricultural sector, to a sustainability navigator designed to help small businesses overcome barriers to adopting greener practices. Other projects explored how communities can build economic diversity in rural areas historically dependent on single industries, such as mining or tourism. See the full list of capstone projects below.

Across these efforts, common themes emerged: the need for economic diversification, expanded workforce pathways, stronger community branding, and increased capacity for small businesses. Many participants emphasized the potential of Arizona’s natural areas—not just as ecological assets, but as engines for heat and flood resilience, food access, education, and local tourism. Participants also underscored the importance of youth leadership, cross-sector collaboration, and community-driven design to ensure solutions are both inclusive and durable. 

The energy in the room at the Showcase reflected a genuine sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. Participants exchanged lessons learned, offered new partnerships, and even began coordinating to advocate jointly for policy and funding solutions. 

As C2ES and partners look ahead, the goal is to scale this model nationally, helping regions across the country define and implement what sustainable economic development means amidst growing climate and energy challenges. In Arizona, one thing is clear: communities are not waiting for perfect conditions. They’re turning insight into action, working together to build economies that can thrive in the face of increasing climate risks and uncertainties. 

The pilot Learning Lab is generously supported by the Flinn Foundation and 18 additional partners across Arizona. 

Local Innovation in Action: Arizona’s Sustainable Economic Development Projects

The Solutions Showcase featured 13 capstone projects that embody what sustainable, climate-smart economic development looks like across Arizona’s diverse communities:

1. Defining Sustainability in the Verde Valley – Verde Valley Regional Economic Organization
   Advancing small business loans and regional branding to diversify beyond tourism and create local jobs while protecting natural assets like the Verde River.
2. Ecotourism and Hospitality in Superior – Rebuild Superior and Superior Enterprise Center
   Building a sustainable tourism strategy to complement mining heritage, leveraging local youth engagement and natural assets such as the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
3. Growing Forward Garden Project – Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation
   Launching Yuma’s first community garden to improve food access, provide educational opportunities, and connect youth to agriculture careers.
4. Arizona Sustainability Navigator – Collaboration for Good, City of Surprise, and City of Phoenix
   Creating a one-stop digital hub to help small businesses and nonprofits access sustainability tools, grants, and technical assistance.
5. From Roots to Renewables – 7SkyLine
   Linking food and energy resilience by developing renewable energy career pathways and community garden programs for Tribal youth.
6. Sustainability Demonstration Garden – Flinn Foundation
   Transforming campus space into a living laboratory for urban heat mitigation through tree planting, design innovation, and public education.
7. Coal Transition Strategies for Rural Communities – Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service
   Developing a framework to repurpose decommissioned coal plant assets and retrain the workforce for clean energy and data center jobs.
8. Workforce Housing Revitalization in Historic Miami – PinDrop Trailers
   Piloting adaptive reuse of vacant properties to create affordable workforce housing in a flood-impacted rural community.
9. Retention Low-Impact Exchange (LID) Plan – City of Mesa
   Testing green infrastructure incentives to make small infill development more feasible while improving stormwater management and urban cooling.
10. Heritage Resources Management Degree Program – Arizona State Parks & Trails and State Historic Preservation Office
    Designing a new degree program to build workforce capacity in heritage conservation as a form of sustainable development.
11. Solar Energy for Economic Development – Solar United Neighbors
    Exploring community solar models to expand access, strengthen energy reliability, and support economic diversification in Phoenix and beyond.
12. Public Opinion Research Insights Tool – Center for the Future of Arizona
    Developing a tool to help developers and local governments anticipate public sentiment toward renewable energy and sustainability projects.
13. Resiliency Planning for Casa Grande Businesses – City of Casa Grande
    Creating a guide to help small businesses prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate-related disruptions.

The post Turning Insight into Action: Advancing Sustainable Economic Development Across Arizona appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

September 30, 2025

Austin–San Antonio Region Selected for the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator 

National initiative expands to Texas amid growing extreme weather events 

WASHINGTON—The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) today announced that the Austin–San Antonio region has been selected as its next hub for the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator (Accelerator). The Accelerator, already making an impact in Colorado’s North Front Range and Washington’s South-Central Puget Sound, is a two-year regionally focused initiative that brings together local and Tribal governments, businesses, nonprofits, academics, and community leaders to safeguard communities and strengthen economic stability in the face of climate threats. 

This announcement comes as Texas continues to experience an increase in extreme weather events—from winter storms to record-breaking heat waves and devastating flash flooding. The Accelerator aims to create a structured environment where regional stakeholders can share data, align existing efforts and resources, and design innovative solutions that protect residents and safeguard critical infrastructure. The program’s track record in other regions has shown that bringing all voices to the table—from city planners to business owners and neighborhood advocates— leads to solutions that are both practical and inclusive.  

“We are the fastest growing region in the United States and live in the state with one of the highest number of federally declared disasters per year,” said Laura Patiño, Chief Resilience Officer at the City of San Antonio. “Yet, there is a strong culture for collaboration that can be leveraged to ensure we are improving quality of life for residents in the region for years to come.” 

 “The most common hazards experienced in the Austin and San Antonio area include extreme heat, wildfire, drought, flooding, and severe winter storms. These interconnected hazards impact our cities while placing the greatest strain on vulnerable residents and communities,” said Zach Baumer, Director of the City of Austin’s Office of Climate Action and Resilience. “As our region continues to grow rapidly, these climate hazards affect our surrounding counties as well. A collective, holistic approach is needed to protect both our quality of life and vibrant ecosystems that make this region unique.” 

“Research demonstrates Central Texas is in desperate need of community-based resilience planning efforts,” said Thomas Ptak, Associate Professor at Texas State University. “While large urban areas are well resourced and have established robust climate policies and strategies, residents located in peri-urban areas and smaller cities such as San Marcos are increasingly vulnerable due to a lack of resources and formal plans to develop and enhance resiliency.” 

Juan Rodriguez Mora from the Del Valle Community Coalition emphasized that “the Del Valle area is one of the fastest growing regions – both population and economic activity – in Central Texas. We strive to engage major employers to identify hazards together and enact programs and initiatives that can make a significant impact.”  

“The Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute is working to develop neighborhood-based Resilience Hubs around the state, but we are not currently working with private sector partners in the Austin/San Antonio region. There is innovation in the region that could be harnessed by the opportunity to bring the private sector in through the Accelerator’s multi-stakeholder effort,” said Margo Weisz, Executive Director of the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute. 

“As fire chief in one of the fastest-growing regions in Texas, I’ve seen firsthand how extreme weather—including wildfires, flooding and winter storms—can threaten lives, damage infrastructure and disrupt the very fabric of our communities,” said Nick Perkins, fire chief of Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2. “The Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator is the kind of bold, collaborative effort we need to prepare for tomorrow while protecting today. I’m proud to support this initiative and committed to working with our partners to strengthen resilience across Central Texas.” 

“2025 is already a historic year for climate risks, beginning with the LA Fires, followed by devastating floods in Central Texas, and continuing through a summer of extreme heat, wildfires, smoke, and flooding. C2ES is grateful to support resilience building and cross-sector solutions on the ground in vulnerable regions across the United States,” said Libby Zemaitis, Senior Manager of Resilience Programs and Policy at C2ES. “Our approach empowers leaders to envision and coordinate joint action toward a resilient future as they navigate increasing climate risks and a shifting resource environment.” 

C2ES selected the Austin–San Antonio Region through a competitive process after communities and partners from across the United States applied to host the Accelerator. Applicants from Central Texas represented local governments, nonprofit organizations, private business, and universities – a diverse base of stakeholders that will grow once the Accelerator is underway. Over the next two years in Central Texas, the Accelerator will convene a series of workshops and provide flexible support to local leaders and cross-sector partners to build and advance a regional roadmap of high-impact resilience actions to locally identified climate hazards. Participants will also contribute to public policy priorities and join a growing national network of communities driving resilience forward.  

C2ES leverages its track record of effective business engagement to bring more private sector leaders to the table. For example, leaders from the electric utility, energy, engineering, finance, healthcare, technology, and telecommunication sectors participated in the Accelerator pilot in Colorado’s North Front Range, which C2ES launched in 2023. The effort built a regional roadmap of wildfire and heat resilience strategies, advanced resilience hubs and microgrids, and supported a new heat-focused public-private partnership between AT&T and the City of Longmont.  

The Accelerator is designed to be a catalyst for lasting impact, ensuring that planning efforts translate into tangible projects and measurable improvements in community safety and economic stability. 

For more information about the Accelerator and its work in other regions, including toolkits and other resources, visit https://www.c2es.org/building-climate-resilience/climate-resilient-communities-accelerator/.  

To express interest in participating in the Austin-San Antonio Accelerator, please contact Libby Zemaitis at zemaitise@c2es.org. 

To speak with a C2ES expert, contact Allison Dennis at press@c2es.org.  

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to secure a safe and stable climate by accelerating the global transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and a thriving, just, and resilient economy. 

The post Austin–San Antonio Region Selected for the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Ten Years on From Paris: Does the UN Climate Regime Need Reform?

Mon, Sept 22nd | 2 – 3:30 PM ET

Attend in Person | Join Virtually

​Join C2ES for a panel discussion that will examine how the United Nations’ broader architecture, across the UNFCCC and beyond, can be leveraged to support the evolution, particularly in the context of intensifying climate risks, shifting geopolitical dynamics, and the growing pressure of financial constraints, including ongoing UN budget cuts. As demands on the multilateral system grow, so too must its ability to deliver.

From Scopes to Systems: Reimagining Climate Action for the Built Environment

Thurs, Sept. 25th | 12 – 1:30 PM ET

Register

​Meaningful climate action is about translating ambition into tangible outcomes. Join C2ES and AECOM for an engaging session exploring cross-sector collaboration to better plan, design, construct, and account for, low-carbon buildings and transportation systems as part of broader corporate efforts to reach climate goals.

​The session will start off with a panel discussion featuring key stakeholders including building and infrastructure owners, planners and designers across building, transportation and infrastructure sectors. The panel will be followed by small group discussions on what new opportunities for carbon reduction emerge when we move beyond an organizational view—focused on Scope 1–3 emissions—to a systems-based, collaborative approach that emphasizes what we can control and influence across the built environment, and how we collectively account for it.

Emerging Best Practices for Net Zero Transition Plan Engagement Investor Feedback Session with Breakfast

Thurs, Sept. 25th | 9 – 11 AM ET

Register your interest

This “closed-door” session will provide a forum for investors to exchange insights and identify emerging best practices for investor engagement on climate transition planning, a timely and growing priority for investors. The event will feature investor perspectives on key successes, challenges, and opportunities within these engagements, including insights from Andrea Ranger, Director of Shareholder Advocacy at Trillium Asset Management. It will also highlight leading use cases for the newly updated Transition Plan Index tools to deepen engagements and drive impact.

More Opportunities to Connect with C2ES

Climate Leaders Ring the Opening Bell at the Building the Future Summit

Mon, Sept 22nd

Nasdaq will kick off New York Climate Week with an Opening Bell Ceremony convening forward-thinking leaders, including C2ES President Nat Keohane, tackling the future of the climate economy. The third annual Building the Future Summit examines systems innovation while spotlighting energy resilience, reindustrialization, nature-based innovation, and sustainability. It brings together a high density of visionary leaders, institutional investors, heads of state, and corporate executives.

AI for Real: Powering the Energy Shift

Tues, Sept 23rd

The advent of AI is revolutionizing the energy conversation, transforming power consumption and unleashing unprecedented potential for optimization and efficiency. On September 23, Widehall, in partnership with Siemens, will be at Climate Week in NYC, bringing together the brightest minds in AI and energy. C2ES President Nat Keohane will speak at this event intended to examine the delicate balancing act required to harness AI’s transformative benefits while managing energy usage. This event will be livestreamed.

Watch the Livestream

COP30: The Road from Baku to Belém

Thurs, Sept 25th

DLA Piper, which has represented developing countries in multilateral environmental negotiations for more than a decade, is hosting senior policy leaders from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, CDP, and the International Chamber of Commerce to examine the trajectory of multilateral climate action from COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to COP 30 in Belém, Brazil, and how countries and corporate actions can help keep the Paris Agreement’s temperature goals within reach.

C2ES VP for International Strategies, Kaveh Guilanpour, alongside panelists will discuss the emerging negotiating agenda, implementing the outcome of the first Global Stocktake, and the dynamics likely to shape climate diplomacy in 2025 and beyond. Participants will hear of the challenges and opportunities governments and the private sector face in driving decarbonization, strengthening resilience, and delivering a just transition.

Request to Attend

The post C2ES at NYC Climate Week 2025 appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Last week saw Tropical Storm Erin rapidly intensify from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just over 24 hours. While this storm is forecast to miss the coastline by hundreds of miles, the intensity of this hurricane is expected to cause severe impacts like storm surge and flooding, strong winds, rip currents and dangerous surf across the entire east coast. 

This level of rapid intensification is becoming more common as the climate warms. Tropical cyclone intensification is in part a result of rising ocean temperatures associated with climate change, which serve as the fuel for these complex storm systems. Warmer sea surface temperatures are tied to the rapid intensification, which, in addition to posing a greater threat to communities and infrastructure, can also make forecasting and early warning systems more challenging to deploy.  

Not only is the intensity of hurricanes and tropical cyclones increasing with a warming climate, but so too is the area at risk of impact. The expanded reach of hurricanes deeper into the continental United States—reaching farther from the coast—raises the alarm for communities not traditionally impacted by these storms. Just last year, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida before traveling north to impact communities in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, leaving a path of destruction more than 500 miles from its initial landfall. 

Hurricanes and tropical cyclones have short- and long-term impacts on communities and regional economies. In the immediate, strong storms cause significant damage through high power winds, heavy rain, and flooding, impacting homes, commercial buildings, schools, and other essential spaces. Storms also disrupt the power grid, contaminate drinking water, and complicate evacuation and emergency response efforts by destroying road and bridge infrastructure. In the long term, damaged infrastructure can slow down recovery efforts and keep local economies in a depressed state. In the case of Hurricane Helene, the storm took the city of Asheville’s water treatment plant offline, contaminating the city’s water supply and depriving the residents of clean water for seven weeks.  

Some communities may take decades to recover—homes in New Orleans, Louisiana, are still boarded up from Hurricane Katrina’s landfall two decades ago. Aside from physical impacts, storms also pose a risk to the mental and emotional health of survivors, worsening existing conditions and triggering increased instances of major depressive disorders, general anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). 

Storms like Hurricane Katrina, Helene, and Erin emphasize the need for integrated adaptation, resilience, and disaster planning. Decision-makers and planners must identify vulnerabilities across critical infrastructure, regional and local economies, and communities and neighborhoods to inform both pre- and post-disaster efforts. Many communities have responded to extreme storm events by investing in both physical and policy strategies that build resilience. These strategies include: 

• Improved Coordination and Decision-Making: The Louisiana State Legislature consolidated coastal restoration and hurricane protection responsibilities under a single government authority in 2005 in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority now oversees nearly $2 billion in projects designed to improve coastal resilience, including by mitigating extreme storm risks.  

• Investments in Nature-Based Solutions for Resilience: In 2022, Florida established the Resilient Florida Grants Program to fund projects that enhance natural systems to help mitigate flood impacts, improve water quality and prevent coastal erosion. Nature-based climate resilience solutions like those supported by the Resilient Florida Grants provide multiple benefits and help stretch the impact of necessary, but limited, funding.  

• Physical Infrastructure and Built Environment Upgrades: At the local level, communities are investing in grid resilience efforts to decrease impacts from storms on energy infrastructure systems, such as burying power lines or exploring community owned and decentralized power models. Boston, Massachusetts, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and Eastport, Maine have all upgraded grid infrastructure to be able to maintain power at critical nodes in preparation for storm impacts.   

While residents in Asheville struggled with access to clean water after Hurricane Helene, the damage could have been much worse if not for smart resilience planning. In 2021, the city completed construction of an auxiliary spillway for the river’s dam. During the storm, the spillway worked as intended, ultimately preventing the dam from failing outright according to city officials.  

As more communities across the United States experience the worsening impacts of climate change, it is increasingly important to invest in solutions that produce co-benefits, like upgraded infrastructure and improved water quality, delivering high value for low cost. Multi-benefit climate resilience solutions can deliver value to businesses, communities, and municipalities by both reducing risk and improving preparedness, thereby increasing a community’s capacity to respond in the case of an extreme event.  

Robust preparation and response systems can be lifelines even when a storm doesn’t make a direct hit like Hurricane Erin. Proactive steps to build resilience to hurricanes and tropical cyclones can help ensure that when storms do make landfall, communities and businesses are equipped. 

The post Not a Direct Hit, But a Direct Warning: The Need for Building Hurricane Resilience appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

2025 is shaping up to be a historic year for climate impacts, with large wildfires raging and blowing smoke across the United States and the world. Smoke from one of Canada’s worst wildfire seasons in history has blanketed the Midwest and the East Coast and is only expected to worsen. Against this backdrop, the case for building resilience to these fires couldn’t be stronger, and the solutions and goals below must be deployed to better protect communities.

The U.S. is facing a worsening wildfire crisis driven by rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and outdated land and building practices. Since 2005, wildfires have destroyed over 129,000 buildings nationwide. According to the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, wildfires now cost the U.S. economy an estimated $400 to $900 billion annually. That cost includes health impacts, hospital stays, lost workdays, and even premature deaths as more people are exposed to the harmful effects of fire and smoke.

As of today, the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center states on its website: “There are currently 47 large fires burning across nine geographic areas nationwide. A total of 15,453 firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents, including 307 crews, 736 engines, and 102 helicopters. So far in 2025, 44,130 wildfires have been reported, for a total acreage of 3,766,597.”

Wildfire: A Threat Multiplier

The true cost of wildfire to the U.S. economy is vast, easily underestimated, and growing. A 2022 report highlights that wildfire-related costs go far beyond suppression—encompassing direct damages to timber, infrastructure, and homes, as well as indirect losses such as degraded water quality, post-fire flooding, public health impacts, and economic disruption.

This crisis is exacerbated by continued development in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). In this area, human development and infrastructure intermingle with wildland vegetation, creating higher wildfire risks and challenges in managing these risks. Warming is causing more frequent strong winds and dry air, expanding fire-prone areas beyond the WUI to grasslands, rainforests, and urban environments. The 2018 Camp Fire, 2021 Marshall Fire, 2023 Maui Fire, and 2025 Los Angeles fires demonstrate the devastating consequences of increasing wildfire risk to U.S. homes and businesses.

While recovery is difficult for any major disruption, the Government Accountability Office testified that wildfire recovery is 10 times harder than that of floods, hurricanes, and other disasters, due to the extent of damage to land and homes. Meanwhile, the return on investment (ROI) for proactive mitigation, including fuel treatments and home hardening, is substantial and well-documented. In its 2024 report, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that every $1 invested in resilience and disaster preparedness saves $13 in economic impact, damage, and cleanup costs after the event.

Government at all levels plays a crucial role in supporting and coordinating wildfire mitigation and preparedness for the benefit of community safety, economic security, public health, and forest health.

Why Federal Policy Matters

Federal spending on wildfire response doubled between 2011 and 2020 due to climate change, WUI development, and decades of accumulated fire deficit. Despite recent historic investments—over $20 billion through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—federal policy still disproportionately focuses on suppression, with some Members of Congress even advocating to return to outdated strategies. This includes the “10AM rule,” a policy adopted by the Forest Service in 1935 requiring the extinguishing of any fire by 10 a.m. the day after it was reported. While this protected timber and communities in the short term, it led to a buildup of combustible vegetation, known as “fuel,” intensifying the severity of future fires. This created the “wildfire paradox” where successful suppression can worsen long-term wildfire risk.

The 2023 Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission offered 148 federal policy recommendations to transition from reactive response to proactive resilience. Building on these through the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator, C2ES is working to increase community resilience to wildfires through on-the-ground engagement in Colorado and beyond. After consulting with 27 local, national, and business leaders, C2ES offers five goals for federal wildfire policy that reflect opportunity for significant impact and broad support.

Five Goals for Federal Policy

Through federal leadership, we can reduce the intensity and cost of future wildfires, protect infrastructure, homes, and lives, and equip communities with the tools they need for long-term resilience. To achieve this, C2ES has identified five interconnected policy goals, each paired with an actionable recommendation to drive meaningful progress.

• Secure Power Systems
• Strong Infrastructure
• Cleaner Air
• Safe and Skilled Workforce
• Healthy Lands

Goal #1: Secure Power Systems

Electric utilities are critical to maintaining essential services during disasters, yet they are increasingly threatened by wildfires and can also be a source of ignition. However, the lack of consistent regulatory guidance has created a patchwork of state-level requirements and utility-driven wildfire mitigation plans, with no standardized best practices for permitting or implementing risk reduction work.

Recommendation: Empower utilities with clear guidance and industry standards for wildfire readiness to streamline planning, reduce costs, and improve coordination among utilities—especially smaller providers and co-ops—state energy offices, and land management agencies, helping to build a more reliable and fire-resilient grid. Invest in research and development (R&D) partnerships for utilities to pilot advanced fire prediction technologies, such as Xcel Energy’s use of AI to detect and mitigate wildfires in Texas.

Goal #2: Strong Infrastructure

Proactive mitigation measures across the built environment help protect communities from wildfire by reducing risks to homes, infrastructure, and critical services. Implementing comprehensive fire-resilient building practices, including creating buffers around buildings, hardening exteriors, and using noncombustible materials, offers promising solutions in high-risk areas. This year, for example, Colorado adopted a Wildfire Resiliency Code and passed a new law requiring premium discounts or underwriting adjustments for homeowners who implement proven mitigation strategies. The state also supports resilience hubs through an annual technical assistance and grant program.

Recommendation: Remove financial barriers and incentivize local risk-reduction efforts, including faster deployment of post-fire resources and enabling wildfire-ready building codes and construction. Federal programs can support wildfire-resilient building codes and land use policies, which are adopted at the local and state levels and include the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code. Wildfire Prepared is a system of mitigation actions that addresses both the structure and defensible space (Wildfire Prepared Home and Home Plus) and the neighborhood (Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood) from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), which is receiving growing recognition from insurers. Investments can also support resilience hubs and microgrids at critical and community-serving facilities that can augment local emergency response capacity.

Goal #3: Cleaner Air

Communities across the U.S. are increasingly experiencing harmful smoke events, both from unplanned wildfires and the growing use of prescribed fire. While prescribed burns are a necessary tool for long-term wildfire risk reduction, they can still pose short-term health risks if not carefully managed. Wildfire smoke disproportionately harms vulnerable populations, including seniors, children, outdoor workers, people with asthma or cardiovascular disease, and communities lacking access to healthcare or safe indoor environments. Although Tribal, state, and local public health agencies often have strong community ties and local knowledge, they lack sufficient capacity, training, and resources to prepare for and respond to these growing health threats.

Recommendation: Promote smoke-ready communities and minimize the health impacts of both wildfires and prescribed fire. Federal and state agencies must coordinate to align land management and air quality goals while ensuring communities are equipped to manage smoke exposure. This includes training healthcare providers, investing in air quality improvements, supporting public outreach and education, and developing best practices for risk reduction—especially in high-risk and underserved areas.

Goal #4: Safe and Skilled Workforce

Wildfire is no longer just a land management issue—it requires a cross-sector workforce that integrates fire response, proactive fuels reduction, forest and land stewardship, emergency services, planning, and public health to meet the complexity of today’s challenges. As wildfires grow more intense and seasons extend, workforce demand is surging while existing responders face burnout, mental health strain, and insufficient support. While state and local fire services, the private sector, and non-federal responders are critical to both proactive mitigation and emergency response, they remain largely disconnected from federal wildfire operations. At the same time, the federal firefighting workforce—especially within the U.S. Forest Service—is under pressure from hiring freezes, inadequate pay, and limited training opportunities. With only one prescribed fire training center in the country and the expiration of federal firefighter pay increases, the ability to attract, train, and retain qualified personnel is rapidly eroding.

Recommendation: Strengthen and engage the non-federal workforce while stabilizing and investing in federal firefighting and mitigation teams. Increase capacity for the U.S. Fire Administration to expand community-based training, foster coordination between local and federal responders, and promote fire-adapted communities. Programs like Colorado’s Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP) demonstrate how state-federal partnerships can enhance workforce development and proactive mitigation. Simultaneously, Congress must address compensation gaps, improve benefits, and expand training infrastructure—such as additional prescribed fire centers—to meet the growing demand for skilled wildfire professionals and ensure a sustainable, high-quality workforce across sectors, including public health.

Goal #5: Healthy Lands

Existing federal performance metrics, such as acres treated or timber volume harvested, fail to capture the full range of outcomes needed to address wildfire risk in today’s context. Furthermore, because wildfire impacts cross state, Tribal, federal, and private lands, collaboration among diverse actors is essential to ensure forward-thinking stewardship of important lands. However, fragmented authorities, differing regulations, and inconsistent management capacities often hinder effective strategies. Multi-benefit land management approaches—those that integrate forest health, community safety, and resource protection—are more effective but remain difficult to implement without structural support.

Recommendation: Update land management performance metrics and support landscape-scale solutions to reflect desired outcomes that improve both forest and community health. There is widespread agreement that new outcome-based metrics are needed, such as the number of protected assets, communities protected, local partnerships, watershed conditions, and healthy forests and rangeland. At the same time, we must empower landscape-scale action between state, local, and Tribal partners for more effective wildfire risk reduction across jurisdictions, including prescribed burns and new uses of woody biomass. For example, capacity-building programs and “forests to faucets” initiatives that span multiple jurisdictions, such as Coalitions & Collaboratives, the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative, and the Peaks to People Water Fund, should be supported and replicated.

A Path Forward

These five policy goals reflect a holistic and broadly supported approach to wildfire resilience, advancing community safety, economic stability, and forest health. Through federal leadership, we can empower local communities to implement solutions that fit their unique needs, while simplifying programs to reduce barriers, expand access, and expedite the processes for both planning and recovery.

Realistically, addressing these goals will require investments in funding and staff capacity. First, we must maximize the impact of existing funds, protecting programs that have proven beneficial to communities and businesses, while continuing to build a case for future investments.

Policymakers, businesses, and community leaders all have a role to play in ensuring the nation is better prepared for the wildfire risks of today and tomorrow. Community exchange can speed recovery by sharing hard-earned lessons, as Superior, CO’s recovery leaders did—drawing on their experience from the 2021 Marshall Fire to help shape Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After The January 2025 Wildfires.

C2ES will continue to support community and cross-sector partnerships and advance public policy solutions as we expand the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator to new vulnerable regions across the United States.

The post Building Resilience as Wildfires Worsen: Five Federal Policy Goals appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

The event was a full-day convening with detailed sessions and speakers that laid the context for the region, the impacts, and informed the solution-oriented afternoon. The day began with the Washington State Climatologist presenting on the current and future projected extreme heat and wildfire smoke, after which participants were invited to share personal and organizational impacts from these hazards. In between collaborative and thoughtful discussions, participants heard from a range of speakers from local governments and nonprofits, many of whom called upon participants to think deeply about the impacts of this work on the communities around them and how we can protect the most vulnerable of us all as we advance work around climate resilience.

These valuable presentations and discussions culminated in a visioning exercise that allowed participants not only to envision what a climate-resilient region looks like, but also to take all the previous conversations and think through potential strategies to reach those visions. Participants then collaboratively developed and ideated strategies that can address these climate hazards and their associated impacts. Knowing that these two hazards impact every sector of the economy and communities of the region, there was a focus on developing cross-sectoral strategies to create multiple benefits for the region.

Some examples of key action areas and strategies proposed by participants include:

• Heat mapping across the region to identify areas most impacted by these hazards
• Creating a framework for best practices in funding for resilience work
• Developing passive cooling design guidelines for homes, recreational buildings, offices, and other spaces
• Investing in resilience hubs and cooling centers with extended or potentially overnight hours during peak heat periods
• Creating a workforce development program for HVAC technicians with specific training on combined AC smoke ventilation systems

These are just a handful of over 100 strategies that were identified in the event. This sample of strategies, if implemented, would have a range of potential co-benefits for the region, maximizing the limited resources available for resilience work.

No one sector can solve the climate crisis, and no one sector can build resilience alone. It will take collaborative processes with diverse sets of stakeholders and participants to produce the best possible outcomes for the people and communities we live, work, and serve in. As the resilience field evolves, stakeholder convenings like this one are increasingly vital for developing new and innovative ways to protect communities.

The post Amid a hot and smoky Pacific Northwest summer, communities seek innovative and collaborative solutions to build resilience appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Policy Recommendations

Driving Private Sector Investment and Domestic Manufacturing

Recommendation: To ensure business confidence in announced investments and the long term stability necessary to grow American manufacturing in the battery and EV industries, Congress should maintain clean energy and clean vehicle tax credits, specifically 45X, 30D, and 45W.

Increasing Investment Certainty in the Critical Mineral and Material Market

Recommendation: To derisk new critical mineral projects, Congress should appropriate funds for the Department of Energy to investigate which mechanisms best support private offtake agreements for new projects. The mechanisms should be determined in consultation with industry stakeholders and include options such as contracts-for-difference, and offtake backstops.

Creating Circularity in the Battery Industry

Recommendation: To increase the ability of dismantlers and recyclers to safely remove, handle, and recycle batteries, Congress should direct and appropriate funds for EPA to convene a coalition of industry stakeholders to develop a roadmap for best practices on battery design for efficient removal from a vehicle by dismantlers and recovery of battery materials by recyclers.

Improving Community Engagement in Project Development

Recommendation: To help companies and communities engage earlier and more comprehensively in the leadup to large project development, the South Carolina Department of Commerce’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development should provide a statewide fund to establish a community benefits agreement council that can be included in the negotiation process with companies looking to site projects in South Carolina.

Developing the Workforce for South Carolina’s Advanced Energy Future

Recommendation: To increase the enrollment of students into technical college programs in fields of need as identified by supply gap analysis conducted by the state’s Department of Employment and Workforce, the South Carolina Legislature should appropriate funds to expand the SC WINS scholarship program to cover the full cost of tuition for positions of high need.

Recommendation: To ensure that recent graduates have immediately applicable and transferable skills in high demand employment contexts, the SC technical college system should foster partnerships between individual local colleges and nearby companies to develop curriculums that will train workers for available jobs and incorporate statewide skill needs analysis into their curriculum.

Conclusion

The growing market share of electrified options within the automobile industry offers both a challenge to incumbent manufacturers to diversify their production and an opportunity for South Carolina to position itself to enhance growth and resilience in its economy. C2ES’s roundtable in Columbia, South Carolina, provided an opportunity to bring together a wide-ranging group of battery and EV industry stakeholders to discuss how the state can strengthen those aspects of the supply chain that might pose a risk to the long-term resilience of the industry. In-depth discussions among stakeholders on the topics of critical mineral supply chains, battery circularity and recycling, community engagement, and workforce development provided the foundation for a set of policy recommendations aimed at bolstering these aspects of South Carolina’s battery and EV industries. In the near term, ensuring announced projects begin production is key to realizing the economic potential of the industry. State and federal policymakers should work to preserve the incentives that are powering the growth of these industries in the state, ensuring that businesses have the policy certainty they need to bring projects, jobs, and economic development to both South Carolina and the nation.

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This webinar will provide the latest climate science, highlighting the trends that are influencing the global business landscape. We will introduce an innovative model for organizational resilience designed to help companies strengthen their climate resilience. This practical model offers a comprehensive and flexible frame by which businesses can assess and enhance their robustness against climate-related risks and other major stressors facing large companies.

Understanding the need for adaptability, the session will delve into the case for climate resilience. Leading corporate experts will share their insights on integrating climate resilience into their business strategies, illustrating the value of foresight to empower organizations to not just survive but thrive amid climate uncertainties.

Participants will also receive a sneak peek of an upcoming virtual dialogue series aimed at companies across industry sectors, the “Climate Resilience Foresight Series,” that will further explore these themes, providing an opportunity for deep engagement and shared learning among a growing community of practice of industry peers. The private dialogue series will be a premiere platform for knowledge sharing and action that will uncover valuable insights on how leading companies are anticipating, absorbing, and adapting to the evolving impacts of climate change.

The post Strengthening the Resilience of Businesses to Climate Change: Foresight into action appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Many organizations and local governments already operate resilience hubs or hub-like facilities. Increasing climate impacts present an opportunity to enhance existing community-serving facilities, making them resilient to hazards such as wildfires, heat waves, and power outages. 

This toolkit serves as a go-to resource for community-based organizations, local governments, and supporting partners in the North Front Range of Colorado and beyond who are interested in developing or enhancing resilience hubs. It draws on existing resources and incorporates input from over 65 key stakeholders who play a role in supporting resilience hubs. Leading examples, primarily from the North Front Range, are included throughout to illustrate real-world applications. 

The toolkit covers:

• The spectrum of resilience hub and microgrid models, including existing examples in the region 
• Local, state, and national expertise on how to prioritize locations, tailor hubs for local needs, and ensure intended community benefits 
• The diverse local support system that can accelerate and strengthen hub implementation 
• Current funding and technical resources 
• Considerations for a regional network of resilience hubs 

Microgrids are presented as an optional component of a resilience hub, offering energy security and operational continuity during disruptions while enabling local energy generation sources. 

More on C2ES’s work in the North Front Range 

• North Front Range Accelerator 

• Blog: 7 key action areas emerge for wildfire, heat resilience on Colorado’s North Front Range 

Read more about the C2ES Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator here. 

Sharable Resources:

• What is a Resilience Hub? (Downloadable infographic in Spanish and English)

Webinar  | Scaling Resilience Hubs: Tools and Lessons for a Climate-Ready North Front Range

The post Resilience Hub Toolkit For a Climate-Ready North Front Range appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.