U.S. Climate Alliance Unveils Policy Guide to Strengthen Climate-Ready Land Use Strategies

The U.S. Climate Alliance released a new resource — Climate and Land Use Planning: A Policy Guide for U.S. States and Territories — to help states better understand how to use and manage lands in ways that reduce climate pollution and build greater resilience to climate impacts.

“Land use planning is a powerful tool to fight climate change while improving Americans’ quality of life, housing affordability, job accessibility, energy siting and so much more,” said Alliance Managing Director Taryn Finnessey. “This guide will help states and territories advance effective land use strategies that can deliver significant benefits to communities and ecosystems nationwide.”

Land use planning — how lands are used and managed — can be a critical tool for states and territories to slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and better prevent, reduce, withstand, and recover from climate-related impacts. Given the complex and interdisciplinary nature of land use policy, the guide highlights three foundational principles for climate-aligned land use planning by states. These include reducing GHG emissions, sequestering carbon, and improving climate resilience; protecting natural and working lands (NWL); and transforming systems to build social equity.

The guide outlines a suite of policies states and territories can use to advance their climate goals through land use planning, such as location-efficient development policies, climate-resilient development policies, and policies that promote healthy and resilient NWL. It also offers governance strategies to help states undertake cross-sectoral and intergovernmental planning, ensure data-driven planning and decision-making, and foster meaningful engagement with Tribes, communities, businesses, and other stakeholders.

Importantly, the guide illustrates how effective land use planning strengthens the well-being of communities and ecosystems in addition to addressing climate change. Among the many co-benefits identified are improvements to housing affordability, job accessibility, clean energy siting, clean drinking water, flood and coastal zone management, reduced wildfire risk exposure, access to open space and recreational opportunities, and an increased focus on equity.

Examples of impactful land use policies, practices, and programs across Alliance states and territories are highlighted throughout the guide, including:

• Climate-friendly and equitable community planning requirements in Oregon.
• Integration of climate adaptation in community investment and incentive programs in Vermont.
• Planning for affordable housing and strategic growth while protecting natural and working lands in Colorado.

This guide was produced with support from Climate Resilience Consulting and Smart Growth America. It is part of a series of resources and tools released by the Alliance to support state-led climate action across sectors and policy areas.

The guide can be downloaded here.