Overview:

Summary: Citing heat as a priority can raise awareness and increase political pressure to reduce the risk of extreme heat. This declaration can be an important prepatory step to motivate the declaring government to set priorities and outline how they will address heat issues.

Implementation: Pass a resolution that acknolwedges extreme heat as well as additional climate impacts as a priority for the City to address.

Considerations for Use: Look at existing climate emergency resolutions as a template. Incorporate a climate justice perspective and center vulnerable populations in the resolution. Public dashboards on risk reduction and preparedness progress can create transparency and broader awareness of ongoing efforts.

• Policy Levers:
  
  
  CommitmentGovernments set ambitious goals or targets to guide prioritization and investment.
• Trigger Points:
  
  
  Preparatory measures (actions to establish authority to act)Actions to establish/ ensure the authority to act when appropriate trigger-points occur.
• Intervention Type:
  Planning/Policy
• Sectors:
  City Administration

Impact:

• Target Beneficiaries:
  Heat-vulnerable communities, Residents
• Phase of Impact:
  Risk reduction and mitigation
• Metrics:
  Advancement toward heat risk reduction and preparedness (capital allocated to projects, plans adopted), projects initiated

Case Studies:

• Austin City Council Heat Island Mitigation Resolution (EPA Database)
• Annapolis, MD Energy Efficiency Task Force Resolution

Implementation:

• Intervention Scale:
  City
• Authority and Governance:
  City government
• Implementation Timeline:
  Short-term (1-2 Years)
• Implementation Stakeholders:
  City government
• Funding Sources:
  Public investment
• Capacity to Act:
  High, Low, Medium

Benefits:

• Cost-Benefit:
  Low
• Public Good:
  N/A
• GHG Reduction:
  N/A
• Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
  N/A
• Co-benefits (Social):
  N/A