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CLEVELAND-ELYRIA METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE ACTION

 

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%

emissions reduction achieved

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49%

more needed by 2030

WHAT IS THE CCAP?

The City of Cleveland, NOACA, and Cuyahoga County worked with regional partners and local universities to create a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP). This plan covers the five-county Cleveland Metropolitan Statistical (MSA) region, which includes Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina counties. By the federal government, this region is known as the Cleveland-Elyria Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) region. The CCAP updates emissions data, sets goals to cut pollution, and outlines practical actions to reduce climate impacts while supporting jobs and community benefits.

This CCAP website is a summary of the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP). It consolidates and distills the 238-page report into key findings to make it easy to read and useful for many audiences including: residents, local governments, and businesses and institutions. While the full CCAP plan and Implementation Playbook includes detailed research, technical information and sector by sector strategies, this condensed site pulls together the most important goals and actions in a simple, clear format so people can quickly understand what the plan means for them and how they can take part.

 

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Business

Businesses play a central role in emissions reductions because they own and operate large buildings, vehicle fleets, industrial processes, and supply chains.

Local Government

Take action locally to reduce emissions, save taxpayer dollars, and unlock state and federal funding; your city or county can lead Northeast Ohio’s clean energy future.

Residents

Take Action in Your Community: Learn how you can reduce energy use, support clean transportation, and shape local climate policy in Northeast Ohio!

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The region is reducing climate pollution: Between 2018 and 2022, the Cleveland–Elyria MSA cut greenhouse gas
emissions significantly, showing that coordinated action and cleaner energy can deliver real results

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Clean electricity is driving most of the progress: Improvements to the electric grid and a shift toward cleaner energy
sources have produced the largest emissions reductions across the economy, benefiting homes, businesses, and industry.
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Current progress is not enough to meet climate goals: If the region continues on its current path, emissions reductions will stall
and level off, falling far short of what is needed to cut pollution nearly in half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. Climate inaction
could cost the region ~$170 billion by 2050, driven by extreme heat, flooding, storm damage, lost productivity, and health impacts.

GO BIG STRATEGIES

The CCAP has over 60 ways to cut emissions, but six main “Go Big Strategies” are the most powerful, offering big environmental benefits and the potential to boost local economic growth.

PERRY NUCLEAR EXPANSION

The Perry Nuclear Power Plant
in Lake County is a key asset
that can expand to help the
region decarbonize its electricity
supply.

OFFSHORE WIND
(LAKE ERIE)

Offshore wind in Lake Erie can provide large-scale clean electricity, create local jobs, and
establish the region as a leader in a growing renewable energy industry, though it faces federal regulatory and permitting challenges.

NET-ZERO STEELMAKING

Steel production produces about one-third of regional industrial emissions, and shifting this to cleaner methods will go a long way towards reaching the region's targets.

PASSENGER RAIL EXPANSION

Passenger rail makes it easier and cheaper to get around, cuts traffic and pollution, and brings new jobs and opportunities to our communities

ENGINEERED CARBON CAPTURE: DIRECT AIR CAPTURE (DAC)

DAC removes CO2 directly from the air and stores it permanently or reuses it in products. While it can be built almost anywhere and run continuously, carbon removal should be used mainly for emissions that cannot be eliminated, cutting emissions at the source remains the top priority.

NATURE-BASED CARBON
CAPTURE: HEADWATERS
FOREST INITIATIVE

Reforestation and land stewardship increase the region’s natural ability to store carbon while also improving air and water quality, reducing flood risk, and restoring wildlife habitat. This is a long-term, place-based climate solution especially well-suited to rural and outer suburban communities.

Want to know more?
Access the full CCAP Materials Here:

FULL CCAP MATERIALS