SRPEDD aims to help the communities in our region understand and plan for the baseline changes that will occur under climate change conditions, as well as to prepare for different scenarios that may take shape into the future as the South Coast experiences increased warming.

There is incontrovertible evidence that our global climate is warming, and that these warming effects are caused by human behavior. The US's 4th National Climate Assessment indicates that average temperature in the Northeast has increased by 3 degrees Fahrenheit from 1901-2016 (compared to a global increase of 1.8 degrees). Observational evidence does not support any credible natural explanations for this amount of warming, with human emission of greenhouse gases being the dominant forcing factor. At SRPEDD, we hope to support the mission, also articulated in the 4th National Climate Assessment that, within our 27-town region, we can work on:

"Maintaining functioning, sustainable communities in the face of climate change requires effective adaptation strategies that anticipate and buffer impacts, while also enabling communities to capitalize on new opportunities.”

We strive to connect communities with the information they need in order to educate themselves and residents about what is at stake and how best to prepare for this changing future. Toward that goal, we support mitigation planning - those actions that can lessen the severity of climate change impacts, as well as adaptation planning - those actions that can maintain the functioning of our communities and our quality of life within a new climate reality.