CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH - Cuyahoga County has been recognized by CDP as one of 88 local governments across the globe that continue to lead on environmental action, and the only county to receive the highest distinction. These cities and counties, representing a combined global population of almost 125 million, reported their environmental data to the CDP-ICLEI Unified Reporting System in 2020.

CDP is a global non-profit that drives companies, cities and governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. CDP helps motivate companies and local governments to disclose and manage their environmental impacts. Designed to drive and support counties and cities to ramp up their climate action and ambition, CDP’s A List is based on environmental data disclosed by hundreds of cities and counties in 2020.

To score an ‘A,’ local government must:

• Disclose publicly and have a county-wide emissions inventory
• Have set an emissions reduction target
• Have published a climate action plan
• Complete a climate risk and vulnerability assessment
• Have completed a climate adaptation plan to demonstrate how it will tackle climate hazards now and in the future.

Cuyahoga County has been recognized for its actions to develop robust climate change strategies, to track and act to limit and reduce emissions, to assess and mitigate climate risks, and to transparently report this information in its 2020 disclosure to CDP. In doing so, Cuyahoga County and 87 other counties and cities are recognized by the CDP as Climate Leaders.

“The County’s Department of Sustainability, County Planning Commission, Solid Waste District, Soil and Water Conservation District, Board of Health, NOACA and our dedicated community partners have been hard at work over many years to help make our region healthier and more sustainable, whether it is through transportation, land or energy use,” said County Executive Armond Budish. “We are honored to have received this distinction, which reaffirms that our efforts are valuable and impactful to the health and well-being of our residents.”

Cuyahoga County received an “A” score for the following:

• Published a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report in 2019
• Set an emissions reduction target of 100 percent by 2050
• Published the Cuyahoga County Climate Change Action Plan in May 2019, which included results from the County’s Vulnerability Assessment

“Cuyahoga County knows that Climate Change is occurring and will have big impacts on the future for our region. Warmer, wetter, wilder weather will be things we need to understand and prepare for,” said Cuyahoga County Director of Sustainability Mike Foley. “While we still have a way to go with mitigating the effects of climate change in our great region, I am pleased that we have received an ‘A’ score for our work thus far.”

The full A List of cities can be found on the CDP website.