MPCA-LCA Planning Grants

Full RFP Name: Local Climate Action Grants, Planning Grants
Minnesota’s climate is changing and the actions of organizations and individuals across the state are contributing to these changes. We can begin planning now to reduce our contributions and avoid the worst impact while also preparing for the changes ahead. Harmful effects of climate change can be seen in communities throughout Minnesota, from our own health and safety to overwhelmed infrastructure, damaged property, dying trees and culturally important native species, and the inability of population centers to cool off overnight. Climate trends identified through monitoring over decades of changes show that Minnesota is becoming warmer and wetter, with more damaging rains and cold weather warming. In addition to these impacts, more extreme heatwaves and extended periods of drought alternating with intense precipitation are expected in the future. Communities contribute to the causes of our changing climate through emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), especially from buildings, transportation, and agriculture. To reach our state’s climate goals, communities need to do even more to reduce this climate pollution. Communities also can increase their resilience through planning projects that help adapt to the current and anticipated impacts of climate change.
In 2022, the broad framework for our state’s climate action moving forward – Minnesota’s Climate Action Framework – was published by Minnesota state agencies. The Framework guides work across the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to our changing climate. Achieving the Framework’s goals of carbon neutrality, resilience, and equity will require planning and action by many entities including local government, community-based groups, and educational institutions. https://climate.state.mn.us/minnesotas-climate-action-framework
In 2023, the State Legislature directed funding to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to provide local climate action grants for the purpose of supporting efforts in local jurisdictions to address climate change by developing and implementing local plans of action that enable adaptation to extreme weather events and a changing climate and/or reduction of local contributions to the causes of climate change. These local climate action grants will help local communities contribute towards the goals of the Framework. The law requires the MPCA to give preference to proposals that seek to involve a broad array of community residents, organizations, and institutions in the local jurisdiction’s efforts to address climate change.
This RFP focuses specifically on developing local plans of action. A separate RFP provides funding to implement local actions.