Climate and Resiliency
Climate and Resiliency promotes strategies, policies, and education to help Hennepin County withstand, mitigate, and adapt to climate change.
We support these efforts with direct investments, training and education, and collaboration with cities and organizations across the county.
Strategies in action
We follow Hennepin County climate action plan strategies and support residents through investments, planning, and collaboration across the county.
Urban agriculture
We promote urban agriculture through partnerships with community organizations, neighborhood associations, and the University of Minnesota. We focus on transforming vacant and unused spaces into community gardens. This improves food access, develops a green workforce, and helps naturally contain carbon.
- Growing community through urban agriculture
- Harvesting community partnership at Four Sisters Farm
- Gardening for change
Mapping and managing extreme heat
The impacts of extreme heat are not experienced equally. Individuals who live in historically disinvested neighborhoods and those with additional health concerns are at greater risk during periods of extreme heat.
Hennepin County is developing a Heat Resiliency Plan that will guide the county’s response to extreme heat and help keep residents safe and healthy.
We also work closely with communities to build knowledge and capacity to manage extreme heat in their households.
- Extreme heat planning
- Mapping the urban heat island
- Urban heat data of Eastern Hennepin County
- Places to cool off in extreme heat
Clean energy
We work within Hennepin County buildings to meet Climate Action Plan goals and reduce energy use by 3% annually. This work includes investing in renewable energy like solar, purchasing clean fuels, and studying how we can go further.
We’re also helping residents save money on energy and reduce their carbon footprint by converting to solar.
Weatherization
When homes are weatherized by adding insulation or sealing air leaks, they use less energy to heat and cool. These efforts reduce greenhouse emissions, ease strains on energy systems, and can make homes safer.
- Collaborating to conserve
- Hennepin County Residential Weatherization and Electrification Action Plan
Community engagement
We foster relationships to engage, listen, and respond with people-centered solutions to build resilience.
Funding resiliency efforts
We support community climate adaptation, resiliency, and mitigation through two distinct funding opportunities. FORTIFY and IGNITE funding supports non-profits organizations and municipalities as they develop climate-friendly projects.
Tracking progress
We continually track the county’s progress on these efforts and other key climate indicators and present them in public reports.