The City of Belfast's Climate Crisis Committee, with support from ABCD, led the development of a climate action plan for Belfast, with the final draft Climate Action Plan delivered to City Council in June 2023. The purpose of a climate action plan is to document citizens’ values and priorities to guide decisions, and lay out a timeline of actions to increase our community’s resilience.
On October 6th the Committee had a workshop with the city council. As a result edits to the CAP were suggested and the revised version can be found here :
Revised CAP October 10, 2023
At their October 17, 2023 meeting, the Belfast City Council unanimously voted to adopt the Climate Action Plan.
We invited community input during our 2022-2023 series of “Community Climate Conversations,” covering topics such as transportation, land use, energy efficiency in homes and buildings, flooding, and food insecurity. See below for links to recordings and summaries of these events.
Current Updates
Introducing the Climate Action Plan for Belfast:
Tuesday, August 8th at 6:30 PM at the Belfast Free Library
On Tuesday August 8, 2023 at 6:30 PM the All of Belfast Climate Dialogues project (ABCD) hosted former and current members of Belfast’s Climate Crisis Committee (CCC) to introduce the Climate Action Plan they wrote for Belfast. Their final plan was submitted to City Council on June 4, 2023. Approximately 60 people attended the evening's presentation.
On October 6th the Committee had a workshop with the City Council. As a result, edits to the CAP were suggested and the updated version can be found here.
View the recording of this program.
See the Republican Journal's article on the event.
Beginning in June 2022, ABCD hosted four Community Climate Conversations on topics to be considered in a climate action plan. The public had the opportunity to share their ideas and visions to create a resilient Belfast. Members of the CCC were present at each meeting and considered the community concerns in their final plan. To learn more about these conversations, including audience input and video recordings please go to the ABCD Archived Collection of Community Climate Conversations.
View the Climate Action Plan document here. Copies of the June 4, 2023 Climate Action Plan were available to pick up at the library in advance of the program.
For more information, please call Brenda Harrington at 207-338-3884 ext.30.
Draft Comprehensive Plan Update for Belfast includes climate solutions strategies
July 13, 2023: The City of Belfast Draft Comprehensive Plan Update May 2023 was shared with the public in an open house on June 29th. “Climate Solutions for Belfast” (pages 81-85), includes key findings, goals, objectives and 22 climate solutions strategies - covering sea level rise and flooding, increased storm intensity and frequency, rising temperatures, sustainable transportation & energy, and future land use planning.
The Comprehensive Plan mirrors topics in the June 2023 Belfast Climate Action Plan produced by the Climate Crisis Committee with community feedback.
Feedback can be emailed to the Comprehensive Planning Committee at [email protected].
Belfast is accepted into Maine's Community Resilience Partnership; applies for first grant for heat pumps in City-owned buildings
July 13, 2023: At its meeting on June 20th, 2023, Belfast City Council authorized the enrollment of the City of Belfast into the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future’s Community Resilience Partnership. As a member of the partnership, Belfast can apply for Community Action Grants in amounts from $5,000 to $50,000 (not requiring any matching funds from the City).
On July 5th, the City Council authorized an application for its first Community Action Grant for $50,000, to fund heat pump installation in multiple City-owned buildings.
Final Draft of the Climate Action Plan submitted to the Belfast City Council
June 6 & April 4, 2023: On June 6, 2023 the Climate Crisis Committee submitted the final draft of the Climate Action Plan.
On April 4th, 2023, the Belfast Climate Crisis Committee presented a first draft Climate Action Plan (CAP) to the City Council. This draft did not yet include the list of potential Future Actions needed to implement the plan. The CCC had that list drafted however, and these potential actions would need to be reviewed and prioritized with the City Council, perhaps in a work session format. The CAP, along with enrollment in the Community Resilience Partnership, will enable Belfast to be in a strong position to be eligible for the State and Federal money that may become available to deal with Climate Change.
Community Input Survey Responses for Climate Action Plan
September 2022 - February 2023: A 2-question online survey was available on the Belfast Free Library’s ABCD web pages (and disseminated via the ABCD monthly newsletter, social media posts and at events), and had 18 respondents from February to September 2022. The complete survey responses are available here.
June 14, 2022: Another ABCD survey form was created mainly to collect ideas from attendees at the June 14, 2022 Community Climate Conversation providing input to the Belfast Climate Crisis Committee for drafting Belfast’s Climate Action Plan. 6 people submitted their comments; mainly those attending the meeting on Zoom, but a couple other folks responded after the meeting. You can read all comments in context of our summary of the 6/14/22 Community Climate Conversation.
The Future of Transportation in Belfast & Waldo County
Thursday, February 9th, 2022 at 6:30 PM
Belfast Free Library in the Abbott Room (in person)
with Zoom option also available
Watch the recording here and see the full summary including speaker slides and highlights from the community discussion.
Did you know transportation accounts for 49% of greenhouse gas emissions, both in Belfast and statewide? Join us for this program in our series of community climate conversations that began on June 14th, 2022 seeking public input to develop a climate action plan for Belfast.
Electric vehicle use, transitioning buses and municipal fleets, reducing vehicle miles traveled through increased access to broadband, public transit, and opportunities to bike and walk… these are all part of Maine’s strategy to reduce transportation emissions.
What about Belfast and Waldo County? Come learn about what has already been accomplished and what opportunities are available, hear what others are doing, and share your questions, ideas, and priorities.
Co-sponsored by ABCD and the City of Belfast Climate Crisis Committee (CCC).
Modernizing Our Homes & Buildings
Thursday, December 8th, 2022 at 6:00 pm
Belfast Free Library in the Abbott Room (in person)
with Zoom option also available
View the recording of this event and read a full summary of presentations & the community discussion here
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Resources for "Modernizing Our Homes & Buildings" 12/8/22 community meeting:
Community Input form for attendees on Zoom
What Belfast is Doing With Buildings_handout 12-8-22
Maine municipalities are often faced with budget pressures and high operating costs to maintain older municipal buildings. Energy efficiency is a great way for municipalities to save energy and money, and improve comfort, safety, and maintenance costs. Image credit: Efficiency MaineThursday, December 8th the public is invited to a community climate conversation about modernizing Belfast’s homes & buildings for energy efficiency and cost savings and to help us reduce greenhouse gasses.
According to Maine Won’t Wait, the state’s 4-year climate action plan, “Heating, cooling, and lighting of buildings are responsible for almost one-third of Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions. Maine can reduce greenhouse gasses by modernizing our buildings to use cleaner energy, increase energy efficiency, and utilize lower-carbon building materials.”
With two introductory speakers (see below), we will ground our conversation in the State of Maine’s goals and progress, as well as sharing examples of actions that are currently being undertaken by several Maine communities. We’ll present a brief summary of the actions Belfast is already taking to modernize buildings and increase energy efficiency. We will encourage audience participation to discuss ideas and actions property owners can take to save money and energy in heating, cooling and lighting their homes and businesses, and take part in planning what our community should do in coming years.
The event, co-sponsored by All of Belfast Climate Dialogues (ABCD), a project of the Belfast Free Library and the City of Belfast Climate Crisis Committee (CCC) will take place in the Abbott Room of the Library. A hybrid zoom option will be made available also (check back shortly for the link to register).
Ross Anthony, the Buildings and Energy Efficiency Analyst for the Maine Governor’s Energy Office, will provide an update on the energy landscape in Maine as it relates to buildings. He will share progress on the state's climate action plan, Maine Won't Wait; upcoming opportunities with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and IRA Inflation Reduction Act; and ways for communities to get involved.
Ross Anthony serves as the Buildings and Energy Efficiency Analyst for the Maine Governor’s Energy Office. In his previous role, Ross was a consultant for energy industry projects for commercial, industrial, and residential energy efficiency and market assessments, demand side management, climate change mitigation, and energy savings potential at the state and federal level for public and private clients. Ross was born and raised in Evansville, IN and holds a BSc in economics from the University of Evansville (Evansville, IN) and a MSc in resource economics and policy from the University of Maine (Orono, ME).
Naomi Albert, Project Manager of the soon-to-be-launched (January 2023) Comprehensive Building Solutions Program at A Climate To Thrive, Mount Desert, will speak about how ACTT saw the community need for a program to first educate about the benefits of an efficient, clean energy home and, second to provide guidance and support for a comprehensive approach to weatherization, heat pumps, solar, and other energy saving building upgrades.
Naomi has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Planning. She is passionate about local climate action and has spent the past several years working on climate planning in California.
Building Resilience to Big Storms & Flooding
Tuesday, October 18th at 6:00 pm
Belfast Free Library in the Abbott Room (in person)
with Zoom option also available
We had 40 engaged citizens attend this event in October. Thank you to all who attended and shared their thoughts! Check out the recording of the event here, read a summary and view the meeting handouts.
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After a short presentation on the impacts of stormwater, our discussion will focus on actions property owners can take today, actions we can take together in the coming year or two, and more significant infrastructure improvements that we want to make happen in the future.
Desired outcomes for this meeting:
- Understand how more extreme precipitation events will impact us.
- Learn about WHERE the problem areas are in our city.
- Identify creative solutions by community organizations, businesses, & individuals.
- Better understand who’s responsible for what? (Maine DOT, City, & landowners).
- Begin planning & prioritizing: immediate needs (what happens if there’s a big storm tomorrow?; 1/2 years (what can we manage with no big budge changes and with creative solutions); 3+ years (projects we want to design and raise funds for).
Public Discussion on Belfast’s Climate Action Plan Draft
June 14, 2022
The community discussion on the initial draft of the Belfast Climate Action Plan held June 14th (a hybrid Zoom and in-person with 50+ people attending) was an inspiring event! Participants discussed transportation, land use, equity in finding solutions that work for all citizens regardless of their financial status, and visions for Belfast's future.
Read the synopsis here.
Download the 5/2/22 Climate Action Plan draft which was discussed during the meeting. (Note, there is a newer version in progress.)
Download the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report here.
All of Belfast: Climate Dialogues began in 2020 as a grant-funded project to facilitate conversations among a broad cross-section of the Belfast community about climate change. The ABCD project became a presence in the community, establishing the Library as a source for information and a gathering place for conversation about the climate crisis and community response. From 2020-2023, ABCD held over 35 educational programs & community conversations engaging well over 1,000 people. The Library will continue to offer educational programming on topics around the climate crisis; and will continue supporting citizens to take action.
This project of the Belfast Free Library was made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS grant number: APP-246100-OLS-20). Contact: [email protected].