Regions Take Action

The risk and current impacts of climate change mean we must act. We can advance major economic
and social benefits while preventing the worst of climate change. We can create great outcomes
for our communities without jeopardizing them with extreme weather, floods, droughts, wildfires, and pandemics. This guide helps show the way.

The Regions Take Action handbook shows how regional governments are reaping the immediate benefits of decisive climate action while also safeguarding the future. For these governments, a collection of key actions is driving significant impacts on the economy, equity, public health, air quality, and resilience.

The handbook details five transformative actions regional governments can take to limit the effects of climate change while supporting a broad range of other societal benefits:

• Clean Electricity: Commit to generating clean electricity. Renewables are cost-effective investments, and clean electricity is fundamental to a carbon-free society.
• Carbon-Free Buildings: Construct and upgrade buildings to be all-electric and efficient, which will also create healthier, more comfortable places to live and work.
• Healthy Transportation: Create better mobility options and electrify vehicles, which can reduce air pollution while giving people more choices for transportation and for taking climate action.
• Innovative Industry: Use clean energy to move industry to electric power while also creating solutions to drive a clean energy economy. This includes new processes, low-carbon materials, digital technologies, and more.
• Sustainable Land Use: Preserve and enhance the natural resources that create beautiful places, economic opportunities, and essential carbon “sinks” that pull pollution from the air.

Case studies pertaining to each of the five actions—from Brazil, Europe, India, and the United States—show how climate-friendly policies can create better outcomes across society. The handbook uses these case studies to provide a model for how regional governments around the world can implement the five actions outlined in the report in their own areas.

This guide is a companion to the Carbon-Free Regions Handbook, released in 2018, and the The Carbon-Free City Handbook, released in 2017.

In addition to downloading the Regions Take Action handbook in its entirety, topic sections from the handbook can be downloaded and shared individually. The option to download sections individually will be available after the download form is submitted.