Scientists around the world agree that rising global temperatures pose increased risks to human health and security, livelihoods, food security, water supply, economic growth, and natural systems. For Louisiana, these impacts are most severely manifested in the loss of coastal wetlands from a rise in sea level, increased flooding from tropical and intense rainfall events, and extreme heat. Each of these environmental and health stressors will increasingly have negative impacts on families, communities, and regions around our state with disproportionate impacts on those with the fewest resources.
To improve our state’s resilience, sustain our coast, and help avoid the worst impacts of climate change, Governor John Bel Edwards established the Climate Initiatives Task Force to proactively work to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving up global temperatures, increasing sea level and other risks that threaten our health and safety, quality of life, economic growth, and vital habitats and ecosystems.
CSRS Principal and Resilience Practice Lead, Mark Goodson, has been tapped to serve on the Land Use, Buildings, and Housing Committee to the Task Force. In this role, he will provide expertise and guidance on several proposed actions to reduce emissions and slow climate change.
About Climate Initiatives Task Force
The Climate Initiatives Task Force was formed as a result of the second executive order, announced in Feb. 2020, to support the honorable Governor John Bel Edwards' second term coastal priorities. The task force is charged with reviewing existing emissions data to quantify the amount of achievable emissions reduction by industry and exploring investments in the conservation and restoration of our coast. By evaluating opportunities for incentives to stimulate technological advancements and recommending a suite of balanced policy solutions, the Climate Initiatives Task Force seeks ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while acknowledging the state's economic and energy profile. For more information, visit http://gov.louisiana.gov/page/climate-initiatives-task-force.
About CSRS
For over 40 years, CSRS has been helping government clients develop, design, and deliver infrastructure projects and programs to make their communities stronger and smarter, and more prepared for the future.
We established our Resilience Practice – an integrated, multi-disciplinary team that draws upon the expertise across the firm – to deliver even more benefit on every project. Whether it is a master plan for a park or even a parking lot for a school, we are constantly seeking ways to make these features perform more functions and deliver more value. This work naturally grows out of our nearly 15 years of experience managing disaster recovery programs. We have helped our clients recover and rebuild financial and physical resilience and guided them through various federally funded programs. That experience, combined with our almost 10 years of economic development consulting and community planning, has especially equipped our firm to assist state and local governments with economic recovery planning.
That’s why CSRS has pivoted towards the risks ahead and seeks ways to help our clients proactively build resilience against future events while improving everyday life for their residents through projects and programs that deliver multiple benefits for generations to come.