The Southeast Coastal Climate Network (SECCN) is dedicated to

fostering regional leadership in mitigating and adapting to the challenge

of global warming.

The Network promotes protection of the Southeast’s uniquely vulnerable

coastal resources by increasing local, state and national awareness of
the threats and opportunities posed by climate change.

To join the SECCN: www.seccn.groupsite.com

To join the Florida Climate Alliance:
www.floridaclimatealliance.groupsite.com
The host organization for the Southeast Coastal Climate Network is
ICLEI’s Climate Resilient
Communities Program

Missy Stults, Adaptation Manager

www.icleiusa.org/adaptation
 Who is ICLEI?
An international membership association of local governments
working on climate and sustainability.

Mission: build, serve, and drive a movement of local governments

to advance deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
and achieve tangible improvements in local sustainability.
Understanding Climate Adaptation

Climate Adaptation – Any measure or

action that reduces the negative impacts
of climate change or increases new
opportunities embedded in a changing
climate.
 Understanding Climate Mitigation

Climate Mitigation – Any measure or action

taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Adaptation and Mitigation are not mutually

exclusive!
 Why Plan for Climate Change
•  The
climate
is
already
changing


•  We
have
already
commi5ed
ourselves
to
addi7onal
climate
changes
due
to
the

emissions
of
past
greenhouse
gases
–
even
if
we
cut
emissions
by
100%
we

would
s7ll
feel
impacts
–
meaning
that
we
will
see
heightened
impacts

•  Today’s
choices
will
shape
tomorrow’s
vulnerabili7es

•  Significant
7me
is
required
to
mo7vate
and
develop
adap7ve
capacity,
and
to

implement
changes.

•  Proac7ve
planning
is
oGen
more
effec7ve
and
less
costly
than
reac7ve

planning,
and
can
provide
immediate
benefits.

 Climate Adaptation at ICLEI:
A brief history
History
In 2005 members articulated need for a
process to begin preparing for climate
change
Conducted successful pilot planning process
in 2007
Begin working to devise how to make pilot
an official program at ICLEI in 2008
Today – formally launched Climate Resilient
Communities program
Today – continually building resources to
support local governments
Climate Resilient Communities™
Program
Five Milestones for Climate Adaptation
Adapted from Make

Preparing for Commitment

Climate Change: A
Guidebook for Local,
Regional and State Note similarities
Governments Milestone
1
 between Adaptation
Conduct
a
Climate
 and Mitigation
Vulnerability
Assess.
 milestones
Milestone
2

Set
Preparedness

Goals

Milestone
5
 Milestone
3

Measure
Progress
 Develop
Preparedness

&
Evaluate
Plan
 Plan


Milestone
4

Implement

Preparedness
Plan

Pre-Milestone One:
Getting Started

Identify who should be involved

Build support and provide education
Formalize commitment (resolution)
Start messaging and outreach
Form and hold first Preparedness Team
meeting
Milestone One:
Conduct Vulnerability Assessment
Assess how regional climate is expected to
change
Assess regional/community impacts predicted
from these changes in climate
Identify systems that could be impacted (+/-)
from forecasted changes in climate
Identify how systems are already impacted by
weather/climate
Conduct climate vulnerability assessment
(sensitivity x adaptive capacity)
Identify key vulnerabilities
Milestone Two:
The 5 Milestone Adaptation Planning Process
Establish Preparedness Goals

●  Analyze results of vulnerability

assessment
●  Establish goals for the systems that
have the highest vulnerability
●  Consider short, medium, and long-
term goals
●  Consider alignment with existing
community goals
Milestone Three:
The 5 Milestone Adaptation Planning Process
Create Preparedness Plan
●  Review goals established for vulnerable systems
●  Identify actions that capitalize on opportunities and reduce
vulnerability to climate change
●  Prioritize actions
●  Draft Adaptation Plan or integrate into existing plans
●  Framework (roadmap) for approaching adaptation
●  Outlines preparedness goals
●  Actions to achieve goals
●  Timelines and associated costs with actions

START
Milestone Four:
The 5 Milestone Adaptation Planning Process
Implement Preparedness Plan

IMPLEMENT identified actions

●  Create and adopt policy
●  Identify funding, staffing, other
resource needs, etc.
●  Create a timeline and designate
responsibility parties
●  Share implementation results with
community and ICLEI
●  Celebrate successes!
Milestone Five:
The 5 Milestone Adaptation Planning Process
Monitor, Evaluate, and Re-Assess
●  Continue implementation and keep track of progress
●  Report progress to the elected officials, community, funders, and
ICLEI (annually)
●  2 to 5 years in – take stock and evaluate focus
●  Revisit updated climate forecasts
●  Change course, if needed
●  Continue to celebrate successes!
ICLEI’s Adaptation Resources
ICLEI USA’s Climate Adaptation Guidebook
Preparing for Climate Change: A
Guidebook for Local,
Regional and State
Governments
Created in partnership with The
Climate Impacts Group and
King County, WA
Launched in 2008
Provides detailed guidance on
how to plan for climate
change adaptation
Case Studies on Local Adaptation Efforts
Keene,
NH:

●  Full
adapta7on
planning
process

●  Established
commi5ee
of
all
department
heads

●  Included
adapta7on
and
mi7ga7on
in
community
visioning
and

comprehensive
plan


Miami
Dade
County,
FL:

●  Adapta7on
and
mi7ga7on
planning
together

●  Created
a
climate
change
advisory
task
force

34
different

recommenda7ons

●  Working
on
regional
preparedness
through
Southeast
Florida

Climate
Change
Compact


Homer,
AK:

●  Adapta7on
and
mi7ga7on
planning
together

●  Strong
science
based
climate
impacts
assessment

●  Effec7ve
adapta7on
strategy
of
making
sure
changes
being

made
today
consider
long
term
climate
change
 Other Adaptation Resources
Fact Sheets
Mitigation-Adaptation Connection: Milestones, Synergies and
Contradictions
Financing Climate Change Adaptation
Preserving Assets in At-Risk Municipalities: Financial Strategies for
Climate Change Adaptation
Other Resources
Adaptation email newsletter
Adaptation blog posts
Public health webinars
Webinar series on adaptation
Adaptation talking points
Link to climate adaptation resources from around the nation
Expert Insights

Steering
Commi5ee
of
local

governments

Experts
Advisory
Commi5ee

Integra7on
with
STAR‐Community

Index

Interna7onal
adapta7on
survey

New Tool:
Adaptation Resource Toolbox (ART)
“Streamlining Access to Climate Adaptation Information”

Objective:
A central repository for tools, resources, information,
organizations, and funding available from federal, state,
and non-profits
Focus:
Local governments in Connecticut, with potential to
expand regionally or nationally
 Integrating Climate into Hazard
Mitigation Planning in Lewes, DE
Objective:
Working with Hazard Mitigation Committee and
community stakeholders, understand how
community is already vulnerable and how
climate change is likely to exacerbate those
vulnerabilities
Outcomes:
Natural hazard and climate change vulnerability
assessment
Selection of 3-5 strategies for increasing resilience
to climate change and natural hazards
Devise implementation strategies for each activity –
working with implementers and get strategies
approved by City Council
Regional Sea Level Rise Adaptation
Planning in the San Diego Bay

Objective:
Understand existing and future
vulnerabilities to sea level rise in the
built, natural, social, and economic
systems within the San Diego Bay.
Outcomes:
Sea level rise vulnerability assessment
for the Bay
Identification of strategies to increase
regional resilience to sea level rise
Formation of partnerships
 What’s Next?
•  Continue to develop tools and resources that are responsive
to local needs
–  Communicating climate change
–  Integrating climate into existing planning processes
–  Indicators of success
•  Your ideas?
 Questions?

Missy Stults
Adaptation Manager – ICLEI USA
www.icleiusa.org/adaptation