Daley applauds Narberth’s participation in climate action program

NARBERTH, April 23 – State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, applauds the borough of Narberth for its successful participation in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s new Local Climate Action Assistance Program.

Narberth, which is part of the 148th Legislative District that Daley represents and her hometown, was among 20 statewide municipalities to participate in the program. The key goal for the municipalities was to use tools and expertise provided through the program to develop plans to manage the risks of climate change impacts in their communities.

“It says a lot about the outstanding leaders in Narberth that they took this type of initiative, to recognize the depth of the climate crisis and take the necessary steps to address the critical environmental threats facing all of us,” Daley said. “My wonderful hometown can and will be a positive example for other communities near and far.”

DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said his department’s “innovative program … enables municipal leaders to proactively address flooding and other climate change impacts by providing them with personnel and technical training and date to establish local climate action plans.”

In 2019, Gov. Tom Wolf set a statewide goal to lower greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050.

Narberth joined the program last fall, and municipal leaders teamed with college students to develop plan materials. They also produced greenhouse gas emissions inventories for local governments, calculating current emission levels from sectors such as industrial, residential, commercial, solid waste and transportation.

They reviewed strategy recommendations from the 2018 Pennsylvania Climate Action Plan and identified local climate hazards, such as extreme rainfall and heat days. The teams conducted public meetings and online surveys to engage community members in the climate action planning process.

Putting all this information together, each team is now using a template to draft a local climate action plan to reduce emissions and manage impacts and will share the draft plan with community residents and public officials.

Pending funding availability, DEP plans to offer the Local Climate Action Assistance Program for another 20 municipalities beginning in July 2020. Local governments that are interested in participating can contact Heidi Kunka in the Energy Programs Office at hkunka@pa.gov.