The vast majority of scientists and economists agree that climate change is one of the greatest threats to our state this century. As such, Governor Cooper issued Executive Order 80 in 2018 to address climate change and commit North Carolina to a clean energy economy. Along with calling for a 40% drop in greenhouse gas emissions and establishing the North Carolina Climate Change Interagency Council, the governor also instructed state agencies to start considering the impacts of a changing climate on their issues. A result of that requirement is the 2020 North Carolina Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan (PDF), a comprehensive strategy for reducing North Carolina’s vulnerability to climate change.
We have condensed this 372-page report into a 5-page summary (Google Doc) of what we believe to be the major findings and recommendations. We hope that it provides a guideline for immediate and long-term, cooperative action on a variety of environmental issues.
