paleBLUEdot was selected by the City of La Crosse to create the City’s first Climate Action Plan. The City of La Crosse, located at the confluence of the Mississippi, Black, and La Crosse River, encompasses approximately 23.8 square miles. With a population of over 51,800, La Crosse is the largest city in La Crosse County. . 

The City of La Crosse is committed to environmental stewardship and sustainability. In 2009, the City adopted the Strategic Plan for Sustainability, which was prepared by the ad hoc Sustainability Advisory Committee. This plan provided the City with an overall framework for addressing a variety of sustainability initiatives. It also provided a path to meet the Wisconsin Energy Independent Community Partnership’s goal of getting 25 percent its electricity and transportation fuels from renewable resources by the year 2025.  The Common Council passed a resolution in 2019, which set a goal of reaching carbon neutrality community wide, in both energy and transportation, by 2050.  The Climate Action Plan will establish a roadmap for the City to reach this important goal.

paleBLUEdot was selected based on the team’s extensive prior experience in greenhouse gas inventories, climate change mitigation, community resiliency, municipal sustainability, urban planning and economic development. The paleBLUEdot Climate Action Plan effort will include:

1. Development of community-wide Greenhouse Gas analysis and emission projections for years 2030, 2040, and 2050.

2. Development of a Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment meeting Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) requirements

3. Conducting a community-wide Ground Cover, Heat Island, and Carbon Sequestration Assessment and Recommendations report.

4. Development of a community-wide Renewable Energy Potentials study

5. Creation of a community-wide Climate Baseline Assessment and Strategic Goals Recommendations report defining a community-specific emissions mitigation targets and goals

6. Recommend community-specific sustainability, climate adaptation and mitigation actions that the City and community can undertake with an analysis of barriers and opportunities.

7. Leading Climate Action Planning Public Engagement

8. Development of the Climate Action Plan and Implementation Matrix

9. Development of a Climate Action Dashboard website including a community action toolkit

The paleBLUEdot team is excited to work with the City of La Crosse in developing the community’s first Climate Action Plan. 

The paleBLUEdot team provides a wide range of expert consultant services supporting community resilience, including Climate Action Planning, Sustainability Consulting, and Renewable Energy Planning.  Learn more about paleBLUEdot's Climate Action Planning services here.