May 9, 2025

Thank you to the Ocean Community Collaborative for inviting me to speak about What RI Is Doing About Climate Change. We had a productive discussion on the impacts of climate change right here in South County — and the legislative solutions we’re pursuing to protect our communities, coastlines, and future. These challenges are urgent, especially for our coastal towns. It was a great audience and many people posed thoughtful questions.

We don’t have a recording, but the slides are below and here is the outline:

• Quick snapshot of the 2022 RI Climate Update and the largest sectors for greenhouse gas emissions
• Status update on 2025 Climate Action Plan (still in progress) and how to participate in the process
• Pending legislation: the Building Decarbonization Act (sponsored by Kallman)
• Highlights from the RI Transit Master Plan (and what it has planned for Westerly)
• Update on Act on Coasts and climate resiliency