To improve our resilience, sustain our coast, and help avoid the worst impacts of climate change, Governor John Bel Edwards established the Climate Initiatives Task Force to develop policies 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.
Alongside the Climate Initiatives Task Force, CSRS is supporting communities around Louisiana to prepare and position for the federal funds that will be made available through the bi-partisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). By helping communities identify and prioritize their most critical infrastructure needs, and by assessing how to make these projects as competitive as possible in relation to the requirements of the federal funding programs, CSRS is hoping to help Louisianians maximize the benefits that this investment can bring to our state. For example, CSRS is supporting Jefferson Parish with the Greater New Orleans Region Westbank Rail Realignment. The project has major implications for port development and inland freight movement while also resolving substantial quality of life and safety issues along the existing alignment.
In addition, The Climate Initiatives Task Force will recommend strategies and actions to reduce emissions through an inclusive, balanced approach that recognizes there are differing opinions and pathways to best address climate impacts while preserving economic competitiveness and achieving additional social, environmental, and quality of life benefits. The Task Force will also utilize the best available science to guide decisions and include expertise from state government, colleges and universities, the private sector, and civil society to help inform and steer policy development. Additional information on the executive order establishing the task force, the process, fundamental objectives, and membership of the Task Force can be found at the links below: