Climate Action Plan Implementation Blueprints Now Available
Ready & Resilient Barrington is a Community-Driven Plan that Aims for a Sustainable Future
(UPDATED: Barrington, RI, December 13, 2024) – More frequent flooding from intense storms. Worsening shoreline erosion from storm surge. Flooded basements. More days with temperatures over 90 degrees.
These and other impacts from a changing climate are already being felt in Barrington. In response, the Barrington Town Council has adopted Ready and Resilient Barrington, a comprehensive climate action plan to guide the community toward a more sustainable future. Barrington is the first small- to mid-sized town in Rhode Island to adopt a municipal-level climate action plan, and the second municipality in the State after Providence to adopt a formal climate plan of any kind, following Providence's Climate Justice Plan of 2019.
On December 13, 2024, the Town issued the final Implementation Blueprints, which serve as step-by-step guides for how 10 Ready & Resilient Barrington priority actions can be implemented efficiently and successfully.
Ready and Resilient Barrington, which was approved at the October 16th Council meeting, puts forward action steps for the years ahead to prepare the community to adapt to climate impacts. The plan also provides a path for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in alignment with the State of Rhode Island’s 2021 Act on Climate law.
“Ready and Resilient Barrington is a comprehensive and aggressive game plan to address our climate resilience challenges head-on,” Council President Carl Kustell said. “After an extensive public process and unanimous Council support, Barrington’s climate action plan serves as an essential guide for municipal government, as well as our schools, residents, and businesses. Building on our Resilient Future Resolution from 2021 and our Community Electricity Aggregation initiative, we’re leading the way on climate. Now, we need to make sure we execute on it and that will take sustained community and governmental effort.”
Implementation of the plan will kick off with a range of initiatives, for the Town as well as the community as a whole. Examples include:
- Employing a stormwater management expert to optimize town workforce deployment and the expenditure of town resources and state grants in order to reduce flooding.
- Promoting the installation of renewable energy resources and the use of electric vehicles by the Town and the schools.
- Reviewing building standards and establishing an education campaign advising residents on how to reduce flood risks to their homes.
- Scheduling ride-and-drive events to encourage community members to purchase electric or hybrid vehicles.
- Developing a program to develop “green” solutions for flooding on Town-owned land.
- Creating a local energy coaching program where residents and businesses can learn how to complete electrification and efficiency upgrades.
- Implementing Barrington’s Complete Streets Plan to create a network of safe routes for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Promoting more resilient landscaping practices in neighborhoods to support pollinators.
Ready and Resilient Barrington was developed through extensive community engagement, including online surveys, public meetings, and the input of a dedicated Climate Action Advisory Group. This collaborative approach was taken to help ensure that the plan reflects the needs and priorities of residents. The plan consists of 42 actions covering community resilience, energy use, infrastructure, transportation, natural resources, and waste. To develop the plan, the Town hired the Boston-based environmental consulting firm Kim Lundgren Associates, which specializes in inclusive municipal climate planning.
“This plan provides a clear path for reducing our carbon footprint and building resilience to the impacts of climate change,” Town Manager Philip Hervey said. “By working together as a community, we can create a safer and healthier Barrington for generations to come.”
As required by the Town Council, Ready and Resilient Barrington will be incorporated throughout the update of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan, “Barrington 2050”, which is under way.
To learn more about the Climate Action Plan and to get involved, visit the Ready Resilient Barrington Web Page
CONTACT: Karlo Berger, ResilencePlanner@barrington.ri.gov; 401-477-2845
Barrington Town Council President Braxton H. Cloutier and Town Manager Phil Hervey are available to be interviewed.