Background

Between record heat waves, increasingly severe storms, flooding, drought, warming water temperatures, and the loss of the pollinator species that help cultivate our crops, it is becoming increasingly important that Charles County Government addresses the changing climate. 

In order to ensure Charles County’s resilience to the effects of climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and sustain the health and vitality of the community, Charles County Government is working with community partners and stakeholder groups to draft the County’s first ever Climate Action Plan. The Climate Action Plan will chart a path for the County to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve our resilience to climate hazards.

This Plan first analyzes where our strengths and vulnerabilities lie when facing a changing climate. As part of this analysis, the Climate Action Plan builds on the work of the Climate Adaptation Report Card to identify the County facilities most vulnerable to hazards such as flooding and extreme heat. The Plan also identifies the sectors of government operations and the community at large producing the most greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change and add air pollution to our local environment.

The Plan then puts forward a list of strategies organized into two major topic areas: resilience and greenhouse gas mitigation. Greenhouse gas mitigation strategies lay out a path to reduce the amount of polluting gases produced by key sectors of County government operations and the community.  Resilience strategies are aimed at preparing County operations and the community at large to continue to operate and thrive in the face of climate hazards, fortifying our community against threats such as property damage, service disruptions, and the endangerment of human life.

Project Timeline 

• 2021: The Commissioners recommended that the County undertake a Climate Action Planning process to develop a multifaceted and actionable plan that would address renewable energy in addition to a variety of other sectors such as buildings, transportation, waste, water, and health. 
• Spring 2023: Charles County partnered with the MWCOG through their task order contract.  
• Summer 2023: Michael Baker International was hired to assist Charles County Government with developing a Climate Action Plan for government operations and the broader community. 
• Fall 2023-Spring 2024: Emissions inventories were developed and presented to internal Charles County Government stakeholders via a series of virtual stakeholder meetings aimed at kicking off the Government Operations portion of the plan. 
• Winter 2024-Summer 2024: Public outreach plan development. 
• Fall 2024- Early Spring 2025: First interactive webinar for the public held to kick off the start of the Community portion of the Climate Action Plan. This series of four webinars increased in specificity and level of engagement as the series went on. 
• April-May 2025: In-person, open-house-style meetings held in La Plata, Benedict, Waldorf, Indian Head, Nanjemoy, and Newburg to improve depth of engagement and make face-to-face interaction more accessible to residents throughout all areas of the County. 
• June-July 2025: Community Stakeholder Meetings held virtually to gain input and feedback on proposed strategies from nonprofit, agricultural, and community organizations, as well as state- and regional government agencies, small businesses, and utilities.  
• Fall 2025- Summer 2026: Climate Action Plan drafted
• Fall 2026: Public review and approval process with the Resilience Authority, Planning Commission, and County Commissioners. 

Previous Meetings 

To view the recordings of the interactive webinars held as part of the public outreach for this plan, view our YouTube playlist here.

Frequently Asked Questions

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