Policy Solution

Cooling tax rebate program

Incentive

Overview:

Summary: Sustainable home cooling interventions like ceiling fans and window attachments can reduce indoor temperatures.

Implementation: Establish an income tax rebate program for home cooling improvements.

Considerations for Use: To ensure programs are accessible to the greatest share of residents, programs should be designed to include renters and homeowners as well as those who do not earn traditional incomes.

  • Policy Levers: The mechanism municipalities can use to actualize the intervention. These policy levers will likely be used in combination with each other.

    IncentiveFinancial and non-financial incentives to encourage stakeholders to implement heat risk reduction and preparedness solutions, including rebates, tax credits, expedited permitting, development/zoning bonuses, and more.
  • Trigger Points: Opportunities for municipalities to implement risk reduction and preparedness interventions based on the policy lever, building on the United Nations Environment Programme triggers used in the Beating the Heat handbook (2021).

    City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
  • Intervention Type:
    Planning/Policy
  • Sectors:
    Buildings

    Impact:

  • Target Beneficiaries:
    Property owners
  • Phase of Impact:
    Risk reduction and mitigation
  • Metrics:
    Number and location of participating properties

Implementation:

  • Intervention Scale:
    City, State/Province
  • Authority and Governance:
    City government, State/provincial government
  • Implementation Timeline:
    Short-term (1-2 Years)
  • Implementation Stakeholders:
    City government, Property owners and managers
  • Funding Sources:
    Public investment
  • Capacity to Act:
    High

    Benefits:

  • Cost-Benefit:
    Low
  • Public Good:
    Low
  • GHG Reduction:
    Low
  • Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
    Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • Co-benefits (Social):
    Save on utilities