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Climate Change and Resilience

ARC’s Climate Change & Resilience program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in metro Atlanta, support the transition to a lower-carbon economy, and help the region become more resilient to climate change and current and future extreme weather conditions. This program coordinates the agency’s climate-related initiatives to ensure that climate change and resilience is considered in all of our planning work. As part of this, ARC is seeking grants to fund important climate change related planning initiatives, a first for the agency.

Climate Pollution Reduction Grant

This federal EPA grant provides funding through the Inflation Reduction Act for climate action planning for the 29-county Atlanta MSA.

Regional Transportation Electrification Plan

This plan will provide a strategy to equitably accelerate the adoption of EVs, reduce vehicle emissions, and position the region’s workforce to support resulting investments. Completion anticipated spring 2024.

Georgia Energyshed Project

This project will analyze the benefits, costs, and effects of various electricity generation and distribution scenarios. The data will be used to inform local policy decisions. Completion anticipated spring 2026.

Regional Local Government Clean Electricity Plan

This plan, approved by Congress, will help local governments identify opportunities for clean electricity, energy efficiency, and energy management for their buildings and operations. Completion anticipated in summer 2025.

Protect Grant

This federal DOT grant will focus primarily on stormwater flooding of vulnerable points of Metro Atlanta's transportation network. Completion currently expected in 2026.

Regional Resilience Plan

This plan would comprehensively assess Metro Atlanta's vulnerabilities to climate change and extreme weather. This extends across all of ARC's planning areas, including transportation, water, natural systems, health care, and workforce development. Completion currently anticipated in 2027.

ARC’s Climate-Related Programs & Initiatives

ARC’s Climate Change & Resilience program builds on ARC’s successful climate-related work, which has helped improve the region’s air quality. This includes:

  • Transportation planning. ARC’s long-range transportation plan invests $173B through 2050 to reduce congestion in some of the region’s worst bottlenecks, expand transit and bike-ped options, and promote alternative commute options.
  • The Livable Centers Initiative, which provides planning grants to help communities transform themselves into more walkable places with a mix of uses, which helps reduce vehicle miles traveled.
  • Our Green Communities program, which encourages local governments to reduce their carbon footprints.

As a result, the Atlanta region’s air quality has steadily improved over the past two decades. This includes both ozone, the main ingredient is smog, and particulate matter. Levels of ozone and particulate matter have dropped by more than 50 percent since 2000.

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CDAP
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Georgia Commute Options
Green Communities
LCI
LINK
MARC
Metro Atlanta Speaks
MNG Water Planning District
RLI
State of the Region
UASI
WorkSource GA
33°n
CDAP
Community Planning Academy
ConnectA
Empowerline
Georgia Commute Options
Green Communities
LCI
LINK
MARC
Metro Atlanta Speaks
MNG Water Planning District
RLI
State of the Region
UASI
WorkSource GA