This action approves an award in the amount of $998,237 under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to the tampa BAY regional planning council (tbrpc) to develop a comprehensive, economy-wide climate…

This $998,237 Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program (CFDA 66.046) supports the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC) in developing a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan for the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area. The key deliverables include a Priority Climate Action Plan, a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, and a final status report. Through this project, TBRPC will create greenhouse gas emissions inventories, reduction targets, and quantified mitigation measures, with a focus on engaging low-income and disadvantaged communities. TBRPC plans to provide subawards to the University of South Florida and ICLEI to assist with community engagement and climate action planning. The overarching goal is to facilitate policies and actions that address the community's sustainability and climate change challenges.

This action approves an award in the amount of $998,237 under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to the tampa BAY regional planning council (tbrpc) to develop a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan that will support actions to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and harmful air pollutants and to conduct meaningful engagement with low-income and disadvantaged communities. The tbrpc is the lead agency for the tampa-ST. Petersburg-clearwater metropolitan statistical area (MSA). The primary objective of the tbrpc is to address the urgent environmental challenges and foster collaboration among various local governments and organizations. The overarching goal is to facilitate efforts and policies that will address the community's sustainability future and provide opportunities for sharing solutions among local governments.activities:in general, activities include the development, updating, and evaluation of plans to reduce climate pollution (i.e., to reduce GHG emissions and/or enhance carbon sinks). Specifically, the tbrpc will create GHG emissions inventories, GHG reduction targets, quantified GHG reduction measures, and a benefits analysis of the entire geographic area and population to address climate change. A priority focus will be to gain an understanding of community needs, particularly from members of low-income and disadvantaged communities, and conduct meaningful engagement.subrecipient:tbrpc plans to provide a subaward to the university of south florida, a non-profit organization to for work on community engagement, the iclei to assist with the climate action plan, a nonprofit (501)(c)(3) organization.outcomes:three key deliverables will be produced and submitted over the course of the four-year program period, including: a priority climate action plan (pcap), due march 1, 2024; a comprehensive climate action plan (ccap), due two years from the date of the award; and a status report, due at the close of the grant period. Expected outcomes include identifying tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced over the lifetime of the measures, annually, and with respect to low-income and disadvantaged communities; improved staff capacity to implement policies to address climate change; enhanced community engagement; improved ambient air quality and health benefits; and increased job creation for low-income and disadvantaged communities. The intended beneficiaries include the residents and visitors of the florida area, specifically those who are from low-income and disadvantaged communities.