Data Driven Climate Action on Cape Cod

The Cape Cod Commission, an organization charged with balancing environmental protection and economic progress on the iconic Massachusetts peninsula, is leading a region-wide effort to develop Cape Cod’s first-ever Climate Action Plan. With over 500 miles of vulnerable coastline, Cape Cod faces climate-related hazards such as sea level rise, storm surge and flooding, and erosion, that will only worsen unless bold action is taken to mitigate the causes of climate change and adapt to its effects. Building on the collaborative and data driven process that resulted in the Cape Cod Coastal Planner, the Commission established a baseline greenhouse gas emissions inventory for sectors relevant to Cape Cod, using a replicable methodology that will allow the region to measure progress. Developing an actionable plan requires data, information and analyses that can be integrated into planning and decision-making. Armed with information on the region’s highest emitting sectors – transportation and energy – the Commission designed tools to effect change in areas with the greatest potential impact. An electric vehicle charging station analysis provides access to information on the location and type of existing infrastructure and identifies areas where additional infrastructure has the potential to support adoption of electric vehicles more broadly across the region. A large-scale solar screening analysis directs users to areas appropriate for renewable energy projects, critical in reducing the region’s reliance on fossil fuels. Both resources were developed using ESRI applications accessed through ArcGIS Storymaps that couple research and resources with the map-based results of the analyses. The Cape Cod Climate Action Plan will use data, information, and interactive decision support tools to guide science-based policies, strategies, and actions to improve the region’s resilience to one of its most critical challenges. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow us on Social Media! Twitter: https://twitter.com/Esri Facebook: https://facebook.com/EsriGIS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esri Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esrigram The Science of Where: http://www.esri.com