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Met Council accepts public comments and authorizes finalization and EPA submission of regional climate action plan

Metropolitan Council · November 13, 2025

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Summary

Council accepted the public comment report on the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan—an EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant deliverable—and authorized staff to finalize the plan (allowing non-substantive edits) and submit the major deliverable to the U.S. EPA by Dec. 1, 2025, as required by the grant.

The Metropolitan Council accepted the public comment report for the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan and authorized staff to finalize the plan and submit it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, meeting the project’s grant deadline.

Peter Wolffert, principal researcher, told the council the plan is the major EPA grant deliverable with a Dec. 1 submission deadline. Staff described an 11-county greenhouse-gas inventory, 18 greenhouse-gas reduction strategies across sectors, a workforce analysis completed with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and added technical appendices and accessibility edits since the September draft.

Wolffert said the plan projects policy pathways to 2050 and that, even with ambitious measures, additional work will be needed to reach net-zero outcomes. Jillian Greenberg summarized public-comment themes (clarity and implementation detail, partnership with underserved communities, transportation, waste and natural systems) and said staff responded individually to the 39 comments received during the Sept. 25–Oct. 17 public-comment period.

Council approved acceptance of the public comment report and authorized staff to make non-substantive edits for plain language, accessibility and consistency, and to submit the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan to the U.S. EPA. The council recorded the item’s approval by voice vote.

Next steps: staff will submit the document to EPA by the Dec. 1 deadline and will prepare a 2027 status report per grant requirements; council will continue stakeholder engagement through a steering committee and other forums identified in the plan.

Sources: Presentations by Peter Wolffert and Jillian Greenberg at the Metropolitan Council meeting on Nov. 12, 2025.