Public Participation

Abstract

Climate action planning should include public participation. The United States is a democracy in which the public has a right to participate in the activities and decisions of the government. On a more practical level, many aspects of CAP implementation require community members to voluntarily change behavior in areas such as choice of transportation mode and indoor energy usage, and local organizations are needed to support these changes. As a result, successful implementation of GHG reduction strategies in a community will rely on direct engagement with the public and other community entities throughout the planning process. Public participation can result in a better plan, legitimize the plan in the eyes of the public, gain “buy-in” from the public, and ultimately build social capital in the community. Public participation has become standard practice in the preparation of CAPs. In many communities, public task forces are the main drivers behind the preparation and adoption of a CAP.