CONCORD, N.H. —New Hampshire is working to update its climate action plan, which was last published in 2009 (!), and wants to hear from residents about what the state should prioritize in its updated plan.
The state already has $3 million in federal funding from a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. That money is going towards listening sessions as they work to complete the Priority Climate Action Plan, which is due March 1, 2024.
But there’s a lot more planning involved.
After the state completes the Priority Climate Action Plan, it will be eligible to apply for some of the $4.6 billion in national grants to implement various aspects of the plan. The grants are supposed to go towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating good jobs, and decreasing energy costs. They are also supposed to benefit neighborhoods that have historically borne more of the brunt of pollution.
Here’s where you come in: There are two upcoming listening sessions, which are hosted by a UNH community engagement initiative called NH Listens, on behalf of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. One is on Jan. 11, 2024 at 3:30 p.m., and the other is on Feb. 8, 2024 at 3 p.m. Both will be held on Zoom.
A statement from NH Department of Environmental Services said the state plans to use the 2009 climate plan as a framework.
The listening sessions are required to show there’s been “meaningful community engagement” as part of the process. The idea is that the people most impacted by climate change should have a say in how the state tackles the problem.
Source: The Boston Globe
