Climate Action Plan

The City has been dedicated sustainability issues for many years, and its focus on these topics has become increasingly strong in recent years. In 2009, Albert Lea became a pilot Blue Zone Project community.  The Blue Zone Project supports community transformation programs to increase sustainable healthy living community-wide.

In 2017, Albert Lea achieved “Step 3” in the GreenStep Cities program.  Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. 

In 2017, the City of Albert Lea was selected by the State of Minnesota to receive technical assistance in developing a Climate Vulnerability Assessment.  The assessment was completed by paleBLUEdot in January 2018.  In 2019, supported through a second grant by the State of Minnesota, the City of Albert Lea engaged paleBLUEdot for the development of a Climate Action Plan outlining strategies and actions to support achieving increased climate resilience as well as reductions in City of Albert Lea City-Wide emissions.  This report plan is the result, developed in collaboration with the City’s Climate Action Planning Team.

Partial funding for this project was provided through a 2018 State of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Environmental Assistance Grant, along with in-kind matching funds provided by paleBLUEdot team members, to support the climate adaptation planning portion of this plan.

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The Albert Lea Climate Action Plan includes a Climate Resilience Vision as well as a GHG reduction goal.  These goals are designed to support and relate to the overall State of Minnesota goals and fit with current science based recommendations:

Albert Lea Climate Resilience Vision
To become a climate resilient community, making the social and economic transitions necessary to reduce city-wide greenhouse gas emissions while protecting Albert Lea’s natural ecosystems, most vulnerable populations, and economic vitality against the increasing impacts of climate change.

Albert Lea GHG Reduction Goal
The City of Albert Lea’s GHG emission reduction goals are to be compatible with the State of Minnesota GHG Emissions goals and shall target a reduction in City operations and community-wide emissions of 25% below 2019 levels by 2030 and 80% below 2019 levels by 2040.

GreenStep Cities
Albert Lea is a participant in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. This planning effort meets the Best Practice Action 29.2 requirements. Learn more about Albert Lea’s GreenStep Cities accomplishments here.

The Albert Lea Climate Action Plan

The final deliverables provided for the Albert Lea Climate Action Plan include the plan document and the Climate Action Plan Policy Database including example municipal policies and ordinances relevant to the Climate Action Plan.

The Plan

Download a copy of the plan here

The Climate Action Plan Policy Database

You can find a database of example policies and ordinances to support a range of actions included in the CAP here.

MPCA Climate Adaptation Plan Toolkit
Freeborn County

Based on the Albert Lea Climate Action Planning process and plan, the following has been developed as a Climate Adaptation Plan Toolkit for use by other communities in Freeborn County or the surrounding region. This Toolkit is provided, in part, by the 2018 State of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Environmental Assistance Grant.