Browse Climate Tactics

Learn about methods for implementing climate resilience in your projects.
73 Tactics
Limit demand for new material

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Minimize Embodied Carbon

Choose materials with less energy-intensive manufacturing

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Minimize Embodied Carbon

Choose materials with less energy-intensive machining/finishing

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Minimize Embodied Carbon

Source materials and fabricate regionally (within the state or province)

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Minimize Embodied Carbon

Design for deconstruction and material reuse

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Minimize Embodied Carbon

Keep everything on site (no off hauling to landfill)

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Minimize Embodied Carbon

Design to limit construction vehicle hours

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Minimize Embodied Carbon

Reduce the energy demand of buildings (heating/cooling)

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Reduce Operational Energy

Eliminate or reduce the need for gas-powered maintenance

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Reduce Operational Energy

Reduce the energy demand of irrigation systems

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Reduce Operational Energy

Reduce the energy demand of lighting systems

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Reduce Operational Energy

Make safe and convenient person-powered transportation networks

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Enable No-Engine Mobility

Make safe and convenient no-engine parking/charging

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Enable No-Engine Mobility

Reduce car convenience

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Enable No-Engine Mobility

Link to shared transportation modes

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Enable No-Engine Mobility

Add photovoltaic panels

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Power with Renewables

Site and/or integrate larger renewables

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Power with Renewables

Design only on previously developed land to minimize infrastructure build out.

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Repurpose Urban Land

Reuse previously undevelopable urban land to minimize infrastructure build out.

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Repurpose Urban Land

Limit gas release from soils

Flatten Emissions

Mitigation

Prevent GHG Discharge

Consolidate and reduce the development footprint

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Preserve Undeveloped Land and Vegetation

Put land into long-term conservation

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Preserve Undeveloped Land and Vegetation

Preserve or conserve existing biomes

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Preserve Undeveloped Land and Vegetation

Specify sustainably harvested wood

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Preserve Undeveloped Land and Vegetation

Maximize planting area

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Maximize Carbon Uptake With Plant Material

Grow new trees

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Maximize Carbon Uptake With Plant Material

Grow new plants that…

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Maximize Carbon Uptake With Plant Material

Retain existing vegetation

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Maximize Carbon Uptake With Plant Material

Limit lawn to critical programmatic areas (to maximize higher sequestration planting types)

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Maximize Carbon Uptake With Plant Material

Apply organic mulch or cover crops plowed under as green manure

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Increase Soil Organic Carbon

Create new grasslands, forests, and/or wetlands (coastal, marsh, mangrove, seagrass, freshwater, peat bog, swamp)

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Regenerate Natural Carbon Sinks

Restore degraded grasslands, forests, and/or wetlands (coastal, marsh, mangrove, seagrass, freshwater, peat bog, swamp)

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Regenerate Natural Carbon Sinks

Create new grasslands, forests, and/or wetlands (coastal, marsh, mangrove, seagrass, freshwater, peat bog, swamp)

Sequester Carbon

Mitigation

Regenerate Natural Carbon Sinks

Move activities away from high-risk areas

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Coastal Storms

Reconfigure shorelines to attenuate wave energy

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Coastal Storms

Reduce excess water by exiting it as quickly as possible without overtaxing the storm system

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Coastal Storms

Move activities away from high-risk areas

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Wildfire

Create obstacles to stop the advance of fire

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Wildfire

Reduce excess fuels

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Wildfire

Move activities away from high-risk areas

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Flash Floods

Create obstacles to attenuate water speed, volume, and sediment flows

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Flash Floods

Reduce excess water

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Flash Floods

Reduce excess sediment through erosion prevention

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Flash Floods

Move activities away from high-risk areas (hottest, most exposed, most populous)

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Excess Heat

Create obstacles to surface warming

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Excess Heat

Reduce excess heat by lowering surface temperatures

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Excess Heat

Increase evaporative cooling

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Excess Heat

Design for night time use

Modulate Excess

Adaptation

Limit Exposure to Excess Heat

Design for robustness (the capacity to withstand adverse conditions)

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Design for Floodability

Incorporate redundancies

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Design for Floodability

Design for the rapid containment of losses

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Design for Floodability

Design for the capacity to absorb and recover

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Design for Floodability

Design for robustness (the capacity to withstand adverse conditions)

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Design for Fire Disturbance

Incorporate redundancies

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Design for Fire Disturbance

Design for the capacity to absorb and recover

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Design for Fire Disturbance

Design for the rapid containment of losses

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Design for Fire Disturbance

Implement on-site water reclamation systems

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Design for Drought

Design for the rapid containment of losses

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Incorporate Cooling Features for People

Lower core body temperature

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Incorporate Cooling Features for People

Increase the perception of thermal comfort

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Incorporate Cooling Features for People

Block solar radiation

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Incorporate Cooling Features for People

Select generally robust and regenerative native and non-native plants for climate extremes (heat, drought, wind, inundation, salt)

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Prioritize Climate-Adapted Vegetation

Select specifically adapted native and non-native plants, according to regional climate projections

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Prioritize Climate-Adapted Vegetation

Protect habitat

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Increase Biodiversity

Connect habitat

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Increase Biodiversity

Increase complexity (by adding new species to existing monocultures)

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Increase Biodiversity

Make or expand quality habitat for diverse animals, insects, and plants

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Increase Biodiversity

Facilitate social interaction to engender community building, ownership, mutual aid, and collective well-being

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Build Social Infrastructure

Facilitate socio-economic mixing to help communities engender tolerance, develop social capital, and share opportunities for upward mobility

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Build Social Infrastructure

Listen to feedback from stakeholders to create places that feel safe and inviting

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Build Social Infrastructure

Integrate a community resilience hub or cooling center for support during disaster events

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Build Social Infrastructure

Integrate park space into other climate-ready civic assets such as libraries, rec centers, police and fire stations, streets, transit areas, and schools

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Build Social Infrastructure

Program the site to educate users about climate risks including what to do and where to go in the event of an emergency

Accomodate Disturbances

Adaptation

Build Social Infrastructure