Climate & Energy

COG's Climate and Energy Program is one of the nation's first initiatives to address climate change on a regional level. The centerpiece of this work, the Metropolitan Washington 2030 Climate and Energy Action Plan developed by COG’s Climate, Energy, and Environment Policy Committee, outlines collaborative actions the region should take to meet its shared climate mitigation and resiliency goals, including a 50 percent reduction in emissions below 2005 levels by 2030. The plan facilitates an equitable transition toward zero energy buildings, zero emission vehicles, and zero waste, among other priority actions, in addition to assessing the region’s climate hazards and vulnerabilities.

The region has been widely acknowledged for its efforts—recognized by the Global Covenant of Mayors as a U.S. Metro Scale Climate Leader in 2019 and designated as fully compliant with the global standards of best practices for climate planning in 2021. COG and its members were also named a White House Climate Action Champion in 2014.

COG, its members, and stakeholders are continually working in partnership together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create more resilient communities across metropolitan Washington—including in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy infrastructure, clean vehicle projects and initiatives, resiliency, and more.

In addition to the action plan, COG has supported several DMV jurisdictions on their local climate and electric vehicle planning. Learn more about local and state climate plans and initiatives that support the region’s shared climate goals through DMV Climate Partners, a partnership coordinated by COG.