LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Clark County now enters phase two of a years-long plan to bolster climate action across southern Nevada. Commissioners adopted the plan Tuesday which outlines areas of focus for meeting sustainability and climate goals more directly with the county's 2.3 million citizens and 45 million annual visitors.
Public Information Administrator Kevin MacDonald says this plan aims to address climate change impacts across the county, such as increases in extreme heat days, drought conditions, wildfires and flash flooding are impacting the health, economy and safety of Clark County.
As of April 4, the county now moves into phase two of the All-In Clark County Plan with the unanimous approval and adoption of the All-In Clark County Community Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.
While phase one focused more on internal operations, phase two now brings the All-In Clark County Plan into the community.
County officials look work with businesses, utility providers, community organizations, municipalities and individuals across the region to accomplish the six primary All-In goals.
- Clean and reliable energy.
- Connected and equitable mobility.
- Diverse and circular economy.
- Resilient and healthy community.
- Smart buildings and development.
- Sustainable water systems.
The whole process dates back to October 2019 when Clark County officials joined the County Climate Coalition, which pledges to uphold the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement, and created the All-In Clark County Plan. Under this plan, the county began developing phases of implementation.
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The County Commission adopted phase one of the All-In Clark County Plan, known as the All-In Clark County Operations Plan, back in February of 2021. Since then, officials in Clark County say they have been focused on addressing "internal operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement more sustainable practices across its 38 departments."
While county departments continued addressing internal measures, the Department of Environment and Sustainability (DES) also began work on the second phase of All-In Clark County.
Jodi Bechtel, assistant director of (DES), discussed the process Tuesday leading up to the commissioners meeting.
"We began planning and developing a county operations plan to address our county buildings what we're doing, our own emissions, and lead by example."
Bechtel continued, saying that, while working on internal assessments, DES identified additional planning efforts that would lead to today's community plan.
One of those efforts was to update the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory in 2021, which had not previously been updated since 2014 by The Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition.
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County commissioners released the following statements on the All-In progress:
“The plan is about more than just clean air and water. It covers affordable housing, green jobs, reliable energy and quality of life,” said Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick. “These are all the key pieces we need in place to secure the well-being and prosperity of Clark County.”
“The All-In Clark County Plan is the region’s first comprehensive roadmap to address climate change and create a more sustainable future for our community,” said Clark County Commission Vice Chairman Justin Jones. “With the adoption of the All-In Clark County Plan, we’re taking important steps to address climate change and protect our community’s economic, environmental and social resilience.”
