As our state responds to the COVID-19 crisis, addressing climate change remains a high priority. To learn about the Maine Climate Council’s goals, draft strategies, timeline, and how to engage with us, please visit https://climatecouncil.maine.gov.
Learn how the Maine Climate Council was created:
- Read the original legislation that created the Maine Climate Council and set State greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets by clicking here (link)
- Read the announcement of the membership of the Maine Climate Council by clicking here (link)
- Watch the first quarterly meeting of the Maine Climate Council (link)
The Maine Climate Council has the following subcommittees & working groups:
- Scientific and Technical Subcommittee (Membership list -PDF)
- Energy Working Group (Membership list -PDF)
- Transportation Working Group (Membership list -PDF)
- Buildings, Infrastructure and Housing Working Group (Membership list -PDF)
- Coastal and Marine Working Group (Membership list -PDF)
- Natural and Working Lands Working Group (Membership list -PDF)
- Community Resilience Planning, Public Health, and Emergency Management Working Group (Membership list -PDF)
Looking to send a comment or suggestion to the Maine Climate Council?
Please visit the contact form here (link) and submit your comment to one of the Maine Climate Council’s working groups or staff. We will pass your comment or suggestion along to the relevant working group and follow up if necessary.
Climate Council Timeline:
- September 26, 2019: Maine Climate Council launches in its first quarterly meeting
- October 2019–June 2020: Climate Council working groups meet, propose solutions. Working groups include Science & Technical Subcommittee; Transportation; Buildings, Housing & Infrastructure; Energy; Coastal & Marine; Working Lands; and Resilience, Public Health & Emergency Management
- All meetings are open to the public and can be found on each working group’s webpage
- January 29, 2020: second Maine Climate Council quarterly meeting
- February 2020: Scientific Assessment of Climate Change and Its Effects in Maine, Phase I Working Document (PDF), from the Maine Climate Council’s Scientific and Technical Subcommittee
- June 17 and 18, 2020: third Maine Climate Council quarterly meeting, working groups present draft strategies to the Maine Climate Council
- Summer 2020: Maine Climate Council considers draft strategies; receives cost-of-doing-nothing and cost-benefit analysis reports from external analysts Eastern Research Group and Synapse; and gathers public input on the draft strategies
- Fall 2020: Maine Climate Council refines and selects final strategies and prepares State Climate Action Plan (2 meetings planned; see quarterly meetings page (link) for more details)
- December 1, 2020: 4-year State Climate Action Plan due to the Governor and Legislature, who will consider and decide any legislative and rulemaking actions to enact into law
- Ongoing Work: Climate Council to meet quarterly to monitor progress and working groups to meet at least twice a year to monitor progress; GHG emissions reporting every other year by Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Climate Action Plan updates every 4 years
- Please see the Public Meeting Calendar for the full schedule of upcoming meetings
For more information on this initiative, email Cassaundra Rose.
Looking for more information about the impacts of climate change in Maine? Visit the Department of Environmental Protection’s Climate hub by clicking here.
