This 2023 Climate Forward: Action and Resiliency Plan builds on Howard County’s existing efforts to reduce emissions, increase resiliency, and achieve environmental equity. This plan identifies strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon, and achieve greater resilience against the increases in extreme weather that are projected to occur.
Howard County Climate Forward serves as a science-based and shovel ready workplan for every department and level of Howard County government. It also includes some recommendations for what partners and individuals can do. In addition, Climate Forward is the County's first climate plan to add a focus on climate resiliency and environmental justice.
Through this bold and historic plan, Howard County aims to:
The 2023 Climate Forward Plan is science-based and focused on immediate and practical action. This page is updated in real time based on the status of plan implementation. Click the drop-down bars below to learn more about the mitigation and resilience strategies defined in the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan and view our progress so far.
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
E1.1 | Increase energy efficiency and conservation in all existing residential, commercial and government buildings. |      | |
E1.2 | Increase electrification in existing residential, commercial and government buildings. | | |
E1.3 | Accelerate the adoption of low GWP refrigeration and air conditioning equipment in commercial properties and reduce refrigerant leaks. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
E2.1 | Implement more stringent green building standards for new residential, commercial, and government properties. |  | |
E2.2 | Phase-in requirements for all-electric new construction for residential, commercial and government properties. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
E3.1 | Expand the development of solar energy for residential, commercial, and government properties. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
T1.1 | Continue to develop a robust EV charging station infrastructure. | | |
T1.2 | Accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in the community and County government fleet. | | |
T1.3 | Transition to a zero-emissions transit vehicle fleet. | | |
T1.4 | Transition to a zero-emissions school bus fleet. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
T2.1 | Increase public transit ridership by enhancing the effectiveness and reliability of local and regional public transit. |  | |
T2.2 | Implement microtransit in less dense areas that have a demonstrated need of connection between homes, jobs, and services. | | |
T2.3 | Expand and improve sidewalks, crosswalks, pathways, and bike lanes and connect them to jobs, shopping, schools, and recreational amenities. | | |
T2.4 | Increase and normalize teleworking options for employees whenever possible. | | |
T2.5 | Implement policies, outreach programs, and incentives to promote individual behavior changes to reduce emissions from personal vehicles. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
W1.1 | Reduce organic waste and expand composting in the residential sector. |  | |
W1.2 | Incentivize businesses and schools to reduce organic waste and participate in composting. | | |
W1.3 | Ensure that Howard County’s Alpha Ridge Landfill and closed landfills meet or exceed the state and federal methane requirements. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
W2.1 | Improve sustainable procurement in government operations. |  | |
W2.2 | Reduce the use of single-use items, particularly plastics and promote waste reduction and reuse throughout Howard County. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
N1.1 | Incentivize adoption of Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation practices that reduce GHG’s and sequester carbon. |   | |
N1.2 | Improve soil health on private lands through outreach and program expansion. | | |
N1.3 | Increase sustainable landscaping practices on public lands to improve soil health and reduce GHG emissions. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
N2.1 | Protect and restore forest and non-forest tree canopy. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
R1A | Create a one stop shop for all resources and services relating to climate hazards. | | |
R1B | Improve existing communication, education, and outreach methods and research best practices to reach communities. | | |
R1C | Ensure equitable access to information. | | |
R1D | Maximize outreach opportunities by layering emergency preparedness information into County communication tools. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
R2A | Increase number of individual citizens with emergency kits and emergency plans. | | |
R2B | Increase capacity of organizations that can provide emergency services before and during an emergency. | | |
R2C | Target more education and outreach efforts about emergency preparedness and climate action to communities most vulnerable to heat and flooding impacts. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
R3A | Raise awareness of and add new warming/cooling centers, emergency shelters, and comfort centers as needed, prioritizing underserved areas. |  | |
R3B | Maximize transportation options to get to and from emergency centers during climate hazard emergencies. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
R4A | Continue to lead nationally on building safety and resiliency by researching and piloting building code updates to increase resiliency to severe storms, flooding and heat beyond life safety. |  | |
R4B | Promote existing programs to protect underserved populations from extreme heat and explore opportunities to expand eligibility for these programs to more people | | |
R4C | Promote and incentivize building best practices that protect people from impacts of extreme heat | | |
R4D | Improve resilience of critical infrastructure to flooding, heat and other climate hazards | | |
R4E | Implement microgrids throughout Howard County where feasible, prioritizing areas that meet critical community needs | | |
R4F | Implement resiliency hubs to meet critical emergency needs for the community | | |
R4G | Expand recruitment and training for technicians to support HVAC, microgrids, and emergency generators | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
R5A | Research and map heat vulnerable areas with a focus on underserved populations. | | |
R5B | Strategically increase tree planting in heat vulnerable areas on both public and private land. | | |
R5C | Research and incorporate use of shade structures and cool surface technologies in public amenities and spaces | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
R6A | Expand the CleanScapes program to increase installation and maintenance of stormwater practices on residential properties, with a focus on areas of high flood risk as well as underserved communities. | | |
R6B | Enhance the Community Stormwater Partnership Grant program to further support stormwater best management practices in flood-prone areas, vulnerable watersheds, and underserved communities. | | |
R6C | Expand Commercial Stormwater Solutions Program to provide flexibility in program structure and account for the financial impacts of BMP installation and retrofits to property owners. | | |
R6D | Provide BMP maintenance support and resources that ensure long term success of BMPs installed as part of new development. | | |
R6E | Leverage existing Nonprofit Watershed Protection Partners to implement stormwater management and outreach. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
R7A | Develop a Howard County specific stormwater management guide. | | |
R7B | Consider adjusting and strengthening stormwater management regulations based on climate change predictions. | | |
R7C | Increase support for maintenance and infrastructure updates. | | |
R7D | Employ innovation and natural solutions in stormwater management. | | |
R7E | Establish a fund for pilot projects to encourage innovation. | | |
R7F | Explore increasing the Watershed Protection and Restoration Fee, as well as alternative funding solutions. | | |
R7G | Improve reclaimed water capacity and usage. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
R8A | Establish a new program designed to aid Vulnerable Watersheds. | |
| Action | Description | Status | Co Benefits |
R9A | Improve the protection of existing wetlands, restore degraded wetlands, and investigate wetland creation opportunities. | | |
R9B | Improve the protection of existing forests, restore degraded forests, and increase forest acreage where possible. Retain and expand non-forest tree canopy. | | |
R9C | Improve the protection of streams, restore degraded streams, and increase stream buffers where possible. | | |
R9D | Protect and enhance the natural resources in the Green Infrastructure Network. | | |
R9E | Ensure that planting practices evolve to be resilient to climate change. | |
The County implements the Climate Forward Plan through its Climate Action Subcabinet and Implementation Work Groups.
Annual reports on the Climate Action Plan detail specific projects, initiatives, and metrics.
Download a screen reader-friendly version of the report HERE.
