Cooper administration releases another new climate report

The state Department of Environmental Quality released a 370-page report Tuesday on climate change.

The report lays out much of the latest science and predictions on sea level rise, increased flooding and other expected long-term impacts from average temperature increases.

The plan includes recommendations, but is largely a roadmap for state agencies and other entities, telling them what to expect and suggesting how to adapt.

The department described it as "a framework to guide state action, engage policy-makers and stakeholders, and facilitate collaboration across the state and focus the state’s attention on climate resilience actions and address underlying stressors such as the changing climate, aging infrastructure, socio-economic disparities, and competing development priorities."

The plan was 11 months in the making, DEQ said. Gov. Roy Cooper directed its development in a climate change executive order from October 2018.

The report is available online here.