Recent Columns Climate change will take the stage in 2009 Legislature Facing budget shortfall, Oregon eyes energy incentives Oregon’s new energy economy: Boom or bust? Article Tools Printer friendly edition E-mail this to a friend Sustainability Feed

Metro on Tuesday kicked off development of a climate change action plan for the Portland region.

The city of Portland and Multnomah County already have each adopted a plan for addressing climate change, but no single policy yet exists for the region. Over the next year, Metro will convene a task force of regional stakeholders to help develop its own policy and regional goals encompassing all contributors to climate change, including transportation, electricity use, and building efficiency.

“We’re looking at the whole region, not just a city or a county,” said Katheryn Sofich, a Metro council policy coordinator. “They can have their own plans but it doesn’t matter if their neighbors aren’t on board with the issues.”

Metro council decided to enact its own action plan as the result of a sustainability resolution it passed in May to evaluate how regional programs and planning efforts affect sustainability.