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As global average temperatures increase, the Southeastern United States is expected to have some of the largest economic losses from climate change nationwide. This region includes many of the fastest-growing urban areas in the country, including the City of Decatur, the City of Atlanta, and Dekalb County.

It is projected climate change will cause more and longer heatwaves in the region, which will lead to increases in heat-related illnesses and deaths. The region is already experiencing increases in heavy rain events, which is compounding the decline of the region's infrastructure and leading to critical compromises in the region's drinking and wastewater infrastructure. And we know these impacts will disproportionately affect people of color, low-income households, women, and children. As the world feels the impacts of climate change, there is an imperative at the local level to build community resilience to respond to these impacts.

Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ and the City of Decatur have joined together to leverage the power of community collaboration by designing and implementing a joint Climate Resilience Plan. The CRP draws on existing commitments and programs of both partners and sets out new strategies with the most promise for ensuring the resilience of the community for both the college and the city. The CRP is meant to give the college and the city the ability to work together, move beyond limited funding and incentives for climate response in Georgia, create new solutions, and jointly find funding support when needed.

For Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Scott, this joint CRP takes the college to a new step in its climate commitment. The college has been on the path toward carbon neutrality since 2007, focused primarily on energy conservation and efficiency, with a more recent focus on renewable energy. As of FY2023-24, the college has reduced its carbon footprint by over 50% and is on track for neutrality by 2037. Reaching these goals will be bolstered greatly by the partnership with the City of Decatur outlined in the CRP. The college's carbon neutrality goal and Climate Action Plan were leveraged throughout the CRP planning process and serve as important guides for the CRP's goals and strategies.

The CRP’s first partner was Second Nature, a national non-profit who elevated climate resilience as an area where higher education institutions have the opportunity to lead in partnership with their local municipalities. In May 2014, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Scott was one of thirty founding signatories of Second Nature’s resilience commitment. 

From 2015-2018, the Mayor of City of Decatur, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­’s eighth President, and founding Director of the ASC Center for Sustainability established the initial framework of what a joint climate resilience plan would look like between the city and college. They charged the CRP Task Force with conducting a vulnerability assessment, mapping community assets, and publishing a final CRP plan to be implemented jointly. The CRP Task Force included representatives from the city, college, and community partners, including Columbia Theological Seminary and Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL). Planning and facilitation support was provided by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Since 2021, the CRP Task Force and five working Subcommittees include representatives from: 

• City of Decatur (Fire, Public Works, Sustainability, Planning & Zoning, Affordable Housing, Volunteers from the Environmental Sustainability Board), 
• Decatur Residents, 
• ASC (Students, Center for Sustainability, Public Safety, Facilities, Faculty, Student Affairs, Institutional Research), 
• Columbia Theological Seminary,
• Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL)
• City Schools of Decatur, 
• DeKalb Emergency Management Agency, 
• MLK Jr. Service Project, 
• Wylde Center
• Atlanta Regional Commission.

Along with Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Scott students, the CRP has engaged students from:

• Decatur High School Science National Honor Society
• Georgia State University Urban Studies Institute
• Emory University Community Building & Social Change Fellowship Program, 
• Georgia Tech Partnership for Inclusive Innovation (PIN) Summer Fellows Program