New Publication: Cooperative Extension System Climate Action Plan Released

With over a century of experience, Extension is well-positioned to be a leading climate solutions provider. Extension’s network translates cutting-edge research from Land-grant universities into actionable education and resources for local communities. In partnership with the University of New Hampshire and the Extension Foundation through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute on Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA), leaders from the Cooperative Extension System (CES) have released a groundbreaking Climate Action Plan white paper. The heart of this white paper lies in the National Climate Change Roadmap, published in late 2023.

This white paper outlines innovative solutions uniquely tailored to combat the climate crisis. It follows a significant gathering of Extension leaders in early 2024 – the Climate Action Convening – to identify and strategize on effective climate action pathways.

One of the significant outcomes of the Climate Action Convening was the development of four climate change models designed to tackle key climate challenges. These models aim to expand existing partnerships and forge new ones, leveraging Extension’s embedded network within communities to deliver equitable, measurable, and lasting climate solutions. The Climate Action Plan integrates climate action with Extension’s other high-priority issues, such as broadband access, economic development, food systems, and health equity.

This publication and work is supported in part by the New Technologies for Ag Extension (funding opportunity no. USDA-NIFA-OP-010186), grant no. 2023-41595-41325 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Additional support from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture was provided through conference grant no. 2024-67019-41467. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

You can access the free publication here.