State Commerce outlines new climate‑planning requirements, tools and grants for Spokane Valley

The Washington State Department of Commerce told the Spokane Valley Planning Commission that House Bill 1181 requires jurisdictions updating comprehensive plans to add climate-related elements and offered guidance, technical tools and grant funding to help meet the new requirements.

Commerce senior planner Pranjali Rai said the 2023 law adds climate planning as a Growth Management Act goal and requires a climate-resilient subelement in all fully planning jurisdictions, with a companion greenhouse‑gas reduction subelement required for Washington’s largest and fastest growing counties and their cities. "The aim of this law is to ensure that comprehensive plans adapt to and mitigate the effects of changing climate," Rai said.

Why it matters: the new requirements change what must be included in Spokane Valley’s comprehensive plan update, create options for how jurisdictions measure emissions, and can affect the city’s access to state grant funds. Commerce staff also described tools to help jurisdictions pick goals and policies and quantified funding already awarded to Spokane Valley.

Commerce outlined two subelements the law anticipates: a resilient subelement addressing hazards and adaptation measures, and, where required, a greenhouse‑gas reduction subelement that sets emissions‑reduction goals and policies. Michael Burnham, climate policy program manager at Commerce, told commissioners the greenhouse‑gas guidance is framed around an overall target consistent with state policy: reaching net‑zero greenhouse…