As uncertainty in federal leadership continues, states need to play a more central role. Our new memo offers valuable lessons from California, a uniquely resourced state that has become a powerful testing ground for coastal resilience at scale.
Read the memo: urbanoceanlab.org/resource/sta...
As the Trump admin rolls back key climate and environmental justice programs, local leadership is more critical than ever.
Our new memo shows how coastal cities are stepping up, and offers strategies to sustain momentum on climate justice.
Read the memo: urbanoceanlab.org/resource/loc...
We are hiring a Managing Director! 🌊 🏙️
Opportunity to lead a bold, justice-centered org working at the intersection of ocean policy, climate resilience, and city innovation.
Know someone ready to lead transformative climate work? Learn more: multiplier-careers.pinpointhq.com/en/postings/...
For anyone heading to the National Working Waterfront Network Conference, come see our panel tomorrow! It's called "The Path to Protect and Support Working Waterfronts: A conversation with local and state policymakers and community leaders." More here: nationalworkingwaterfronts.com/nwwn-2025-co...
New Jersey’s Blue Acres program leverages a mix of funding to expedite the buyout process for flood-prone homes, even if they're in areas without a federal disaster declaration. In 2019, NJ approved allocating a portion of their corporate business tax to fund the program. dep.nj.gov/blueacres/
Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has secured over $21 billion in funding from dozens of federal, state, local, and private sources. Since 2005, the program has completed more than 150 projects that benefit over 55,000 acres of coastal habitat. coastal.la.gov/our-plan/202...
States have a big role to play, too. Some examples of how they're leading:
Virginia offers the Green and Alternative Energy Job Creation Tax Credit for businesses that create new jobs in the renewable energy sector (www.tax.virginia.gov/environmenta...).
Our Climate Readiness Framework for Coastal Cities has more than 70 recommendations on those topics to help local governments better prepare for the future: urbanoceanlab.org/climate-read...
By protecting coastal ecosystems, preparing for offshore renewable energy, building climate-resilient infrastructure, fostering community resilience, and planning for climate-driven relocation, coastal cities can lead the way.
And Charleston, SC’s Flooding and Sea Level Rise Strategy emphasizes approaches to land use informed by flood risk and sea level rise, including the proactive elevation and acquisition of homes in flood-prone areas. storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/...
Oakland partnered with several local and national organizations to support leadership and capacity building initiatives for community-based organizations, as part of their Equitable Climate Action Plan. www.oaklandca.gov/projects/203...
New York City’s Comprehensive Waterfront Plan outlines the use of resilient design standards to help public waterfront infrastructure better withstand coastal climate impacts. www.waterfrontplan.nyc/climate-resi...
Portland, ME’s One Climate Future Plan details how the city is proactively preparing for the transition to renewable energy by improving battery capacity and transmission systems. www.oneclimatefuture.org
Boston’s Wetlands Protection Ordinance supports adaptation and resilience efforts by giving the city expanded authority to manage and regulate local wetlands. www.boston.gov/departments/...
Coastal cities can drive meaningful climate action, even without federal support. In her new piece for @rollingstone.com, our co-founder @ayanaeliza.bsky.social highlighted a number of ways in which local governments are leading the way 🧵:
Another great #ClimateArchives resource for journalists to bookmark... Love this clear presentation of what's on offer, too! @urbanoceanlab.bsky.social
For the record, we meant to say alteration, not alternation 📝
As expected, the Trump team is already deleting climate info from government websites. In anticipation, our team at Urban Ocean Lab created a permanent archive of 100+ key resources and published a permanent archive: www.urbanoceanlab.org/resource-hub 👩🏽💻
In case you missed it: We published a permanent archive of key federal resources for climate-threatened coastal cities in case they're altered or deleted by the Trump administration. They're available on our Resource Hub.
Working waterfronts provide hundreds of thousands of jobs to dockworkers, fishers, farmers, and other workers around the country. Here's how the U.S. can protect and support these places: urbanoceanlab.org/resource/a-p...
That said, our archive is still a work in progress! If you know of any federal documents that could support climate readiness in coastal cities but aren’t on our Resource Hub yet, please drop a link in the comments. We're continuing to add resources as we find them.
But we have backups. Hours before President Trump took office, we published a permanent archive of key federal resources for climate-threatened coastal cities in case of alternation or deletion. They're available on our Resource Hub: urbanoceanlab.org/resource-hub
Several pages about climate change on the White House and State Department websites have been removed since Jan 20, and more are at risk. The Trump admin has a track record of deleting this information: From 2016 to 2020, as much as 20% of the EPA's website became inaccessible to the public.
If this week has made one thing clear, it's that local climate action remains incredibly important. Amid worsening climate impacts and deteriorating support from the federal government, coastal communities need their local elected officials to deliver solutions that protect them. We're here to help.
