Elgin Climate Action & Resiliency Plan

Planning Communities, in partnership with Elevate, developed a Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CAP) for the City of Elgin to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change and foster community collaboration to deliver social, environmental, and economic benefits to all members of the Elgin community. The plan centered an equity approach while aligning with local and regional climate goals and leveraging shared resources to meet the City’s priorities. The CAP development included an extensive and overarching community engagement strategy with advisory groups, partnership with local community- based organizations, development of an online engagement platform, and public engagement events and pop-ups, including engagement with Elgin’s Spanish-speaking community. Planning Communities also conducted a baseline assessment of existing plans, reviewed GHG inventory data, and conducted a climate vulnerability assessment, in addition to drafting goals, strategies, actions, and implementation blueprints for the final plan. Stakeholder input was incorporated throughout the plan’s development.

Key deliverables for the project included:

• Community engagement strategy focused on equitable and inclusive engagement practices.

• A comprehensive climate vulnerability assessment

• Detailed implementation blueprints for each action included in the plan

• A framework and recommendations for digital/online progress reporting

• A Communications Memorandum outlining community engagement plans for the City as they implement the CAP

• A final Climate Action Plan document and corresponding presentation to City Council