The State of Alaska – Climate Action Leadership Team (CALT) recently released a draft strategy and policy statement entitled “Climate Change Policy,” in regards to Alaska.
Public comments are open until June 4th, 2018. Teleconference meetings regarding the draft policy sections will be held Monday-Friday, the week of May 21, 2018: http://notice.alaska.gov/190102; http://notice.alaska.gov/190103.
CALT will also be holding a listening session for public testimony about climate change in Alaska and the work of CALT, in Sitka, Alaska on May 30, 2018: http://notice.alaska.gov/189914.
State of Alaska Climate Action Leadership Team – Draft Strategy and Policy Analysis
The draft strategy and policy issued by the CALT can be categorized into five broad terms:
- Improving current processes for adapting and mitigating against climate change
- Updating currentpolicies for adapting and mitigating against climate change
- Updating current planning for adapting and mitigating against climate change
- Renewable and sustainable energy systems as a current and future business need
- Oil and gas industry focused improvements, adaptations, and mitigation tax
Process Improvement
Goals 1.1
4.1
4.2
Policy Updates
Goals 1.4
3.1
5.1
5.2
Planning Updates
Goals 1.2
1.3
3.2
Business Need
Goal 2.1
2.2
2.3
Oil and Gas Industry Focus
Goals 3.3
5.3
Process Improvement
Goal 1.1 – Improve current processes for interfacing with local, municipal, and tribal governments to address climate change impacts.
Goal 4.1 – Improve current processes for land, natural resources, and wildlife management, specific to Alaska climate adaptation and mitigation needs.
Goal 4.2 – Improve current processes for technical, scientific, and social science research, specific to Alaska climate adaptation and mitigation needs.
Policy Updates
Goal 1.4 – Update current policies and policy-making bodies relevant to local, state, tribal, and federal needs to address climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Goal 3.1 – Update current policies and policy-making bodies relevant to greenhouse gas emissions and reduction regimes.
Goal 5.1 – Update current policies and policy-making bodies relevant to public and private funding of energy transitions from oil and gas to renewable and sustainable bases.
Goal 5.2 – Update current policies and policy-making bodies relevant to public and private funding of community climate adaptation and mitigation activities.
Planning Updates
Goal 1.2 – Updating current planning programs in place relevant to baseline research, data collection, and decision-making rubrics on climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Goal 1.3 – Updating current planning programs in place relevant to local, state, tribal, and federal interfacing and coordination for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Goal 3.2 – Updating current planning programs in place for constructing and/or renovating and deferred maintenance of State of Alaska property and assets.
Business Need
Goal 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 – Characterizing a current and future business need for renewable and sustainable energy resources and systems.
Oil and Gas Industry Focus
Goal 3.3 – Industry plays an integral part in Alaska climate change adaptation and mitigation, and has opportunities to assist systemic changes.
Goal 5.3 – Industry royalties and tax revenue can include a “sin tax” on oil and gas consumer use, potentially augmenting State of Alaska public financing of climate and community adaptation and mitigation activities.
Recommendations
Goal 1.1 – switch 1.1A with 1.1B, prioritizing local self-determination over inter-governmental coordination.
Goal 1.4 – Include a subsection “1.4D” requesting all State of Alaska agencies incorporate the previous reported and published work, analysis, and recommendations of the 2007-2009 Sub-Cabinet on Climate Change.
Goal 5.1B – add “Alaska Permanent Fund” at end of sentence, suggesting an exploration of the Alaska Permanent Fund potentially providing a revenue stream for climate change adaptation and mitigation activities.
