The Climate Action Office is developing a tool(s) for monitoring and evaluating progress on key strategies and activities intended to drive emissions reductions and adaptation actions in line with the Global Warming Solutions Act requirements. Specifically, the GWSA requires that the state track key components of its climate action, including:
- The State’s greenhouse gas emissions and progress towards reducing emissions;
- The effectiveness of the initiatives, programs, and strategies set forth in the CAP;
- The effects of climate change on the State’s climate, wildlife, and natural resources; and
- Progress towards improving existing resilience of the State’s communities, infrastructure, and economy to current and anticipated effects of climate change.
The four primary goals for the tool(s) are the following:
- Policy-Decision Support Tool: Support the State and its partners in making climate policy decisions with best available information.
- Sustainable Data Management: Create a data governance plan, flexibly accommodate future data needs, and coordinate relevant data and reporting across multiple private and public entities.
- Open and Accessible Data: Provide access to key data sources to organizations and members of the public engaged in climate action that wish to utilize Vermont’s data to support their work.
- Public Education: Inform the public about progress on achieving GWSA commitments, including GHG emissions, emissions reductions, sequestration, adaptation, resilience, and equity.
It is envisioned that this work will occur largely between now and 2025.