State & Local Climate Policy (CONDENSED)

Climate change is the greatest problem of the 21st century. It is a problem not for future generations, but for today. Communities in the South are already coming to terms with their new reality: life in the era of climate change. The region is highly exposed to climate change impacts given its extreme vulnerability to increased temperatures and rising sea levels, low levels of climate mitigation and adaptation to date, and high levels of inequality (GCRP, 2018; Muro et al., 2019). 

A recent study showed that as global warming intensifies, economic losses will disproportionately affect the South (Hsiang et al., 2017). While some warming and sea-level rise are already locked in, bold action on climate mitigation and adaptation policy now can wean the region off fossil fuels, leading to a healthier, safer, and more resilient South.