Climate Planning
EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Grant
Through the Inflation Reduction Act, EPA established a new Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program (CPRG). In 2023, planning grants of $1 million were awarded to large metro areas to establish or refine existing climate plans.
The Kansas City region is one of the metro areas to receive this $1 million planning grant, with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) as the leading agency. This funding supported public engagement and the development of a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP).
The 2025 Climate Action Technical Report
The CPRG program also supports the development of a comprehensive climate action plan (or CCAP), which is a technical analysis of climate measures and impacts to be implemented between now and 2050. This Climate Action Technical Report builds on the KC Regional Climate Action Plan (CAP) adopted in 2021. It incorporates the actions that municipalities, community-based organizations and neighborhoods across the region have already taken to reduce greenhouse gases and prepare for extreme weather. The report also reflects community feedback and a shared vision for a healthier community and environment, shared economic prosperity and strong, resilient neighborhoods.
Priority Climate Action Plan
Thank you to everyone who helped to develop the KC Regional Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP). Thanks to you, we’ve located over 300 shovel-ready strategies and projects across the region that can be implemented in the near-term.
The strategies in the PCAP were co-developed with the community through a public engagement process spanning several months and are categorized into the following sectors:
- Buildings Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Investments
- Transportation Alternatives & Technology
- Urban Greening
- Agriculture, Food & Waste Systems Innovation
- Cross-Sector Measures
Community and stakeholder engagement
Throughout the CCAP engagement process, we met with local governments, community benefit organizations, and project champions to identify existing plans to build climate resilience for communities between now and 2050. This helped us develop measures and GHG reduction targets for the plan ahead of the report’s completion in November 2025.
Community Workshops
During the months of September through November we will host workshops on the following topics to help us develop measures for the plan:
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September
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01. Youth workshop
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02. Industry
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03. Commercial, Nonprofit, and Public Buildings and Energy
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October
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04. Residential buildings and neighborhoods
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05. Transportation
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November
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06. Urban Greening and Agriculture
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07. Waste Systems Innovation and Circular Economy
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April 2025
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08. Regionwide workshop; community review of plan measures
Tentative high-level schedule
**Public and stakeholder engagement will be continuous through the process.
Upcoming Events
Webinar: Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Progress
Thursday, March 14, 2024 @ 12:00 p.m.
In 2023, the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program provided $5 billion in grants to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. On a national scale, this two-phase program provided $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and will provide approximately $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants.
MARC will submit an EPA Climate Pollution Reduction implementation grant application to support advancement of the Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) developed over the last six months and based upon our previous Climate Action Plan from 2021. As part of the CPRG requirements, the PCAP was submitted to the EPA for review on March 1.
During this upcoming webinar, participants will review sections of the grant application and provide feedback on our draft application.
Past Events
Climate Resilience Workshops (Sep. 7-8, 2023)
On Sept. 7 and 8, MARC hosted two half-day workshops on the topics of resilience and mitigation to inform the development of a regional Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP). The workshops identified community–centered regional goals and potential projects across all sectors to support the development of an EPA CPRG implementation funding application in early 2024 and other federal infrastructure funding applications over the next two to three years. Through small working groups, participants developed several promising concepts that bring together high–value GHG emissions reductions targets with environmental justice and long-term resilience benefits.
Community Coalition Meetings (Nov. 9-15, 2023)
MARC formed community coalitions for five initial priority areas for climate action. These coalitions worked to develop and refine projects for inclusion in the PCAP and CPRG implementation grant. Individuals will have the option to register for up to five sessions based upon interest.
Coalitions included High Performance Buildings and Communities, Green Infrastructure, Transportation Alternatives, Clean Power and Food and Agriculture Innovation.
Local Government and Agency Workshops (Nov. 20-21, 2023)
Local government staff, transit agencies and other regional organizations were invited to one of two workshops to share and collaborate on climate pollution-reducing projects and programs that are expected to are implementable in the next few years.
Priority Climate Action Plan Workshop (Dec. 1, 2023)
Community members convened for a third workshop to build unity around our climate action priorities. This workshop served as a community review of projects that have already been submitted and a review of a draft Priority Climate Action Plan and funding application concept for the region. Continued dialogue and contributions for new or expanded project ideas were encouraged.
Draft Priority Climate Action Plan Webinar and Q&A (Feb. 15, 2024)
The Draft Priority Climate Action Plan underwent public review and comment through February 27, 2024. During this comment period, MARC walked through the measures in the plan in a webinar for community members and stakeholders. Participants asked questions and commented during a Q&A session with Environmental Programs director Tom Jacobs. The webinar recording can be accessed in the video linked here. Click here for slides.
Draft CPRG Application and Budget Webinar + Q&A (March 14, 2024)
Environmental Programs director Tom Jacobs guides participants on the draft budget for Mid-America Regional Council’s EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation Grant (CPRG) application. The webinar includes a 30-minute Q&A and can be accessed in the video linked here. Click here for slides.