What is the Resilient Futures Initiative?
The Central New Mexico Resilient Futures Initiative is a campaign for the Albuquerque Metro Area’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Planning Program.
The Resilient Futures Initiative brings together diverse stakeholders to support frontline communities by increasing local capacity to plan for, mitigate, and adapt to climate pollution and extreme weather. Largely funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Program, the initiative worked with stakeholders in 2025 to outline a path toward a resilient future for all New Mexicans, now captured in the Central New Mexico Comprehensive Climate Action Plan.
How is the Initiative Supported?
This regional planning effort is supported by City of Albuquerque staff and consultants funded through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Planning Program. The City of Albuquerque Sustainability Office is facilitating this initiative on behalf of the four-county region, including Sandoval, Bernalillo, Valencia, and Torrance Counties. Pland Collaborative supports community engagement, and Lotus Engineering and Sustainability supports technical assistance (greenhouse gas modeling, workforce analysis, graphic design, etc.).
What is the Central New Mexico Comprehensive Climate Action Plan?
The Central New Mexico Comprehensive Climate Action Plan is our Region’s Roadmap to a more Resilient Future.
The Central New Mexico Comprehensive Climate Action Plan incorporates input from 13 community Task Force Members, 50+ Policy Advisors, and 1000+ participants reflecting over 500 hours of public engagement. It builds on existing local efforts while aligning with national best practices to identify high-impact solutions tailored to our region.
How was the Plan shaped?
Applying data-informed and community-driven methods, the Plan was written with the Community Task Force’s goals of reducing pollution, centering frontline communities, fostering economic transformation, and inspiring collective action. The following resources were fundamental to its formation:
2023 Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Inventory: Identifies sources of local pollution and opportunities for reduction.
Workforce Analysis: Identifies existing and potential workforce needs for resilience jobs.
Funding and Finance Overview: Identifies opportunities to pay for climate action.
Central to this work is our ability to uplift community voices. The project team convened Policy Advisors, a Community Task Force, and major organizations in a Climate Strategy Workshop Series to charter a path forward toward a more resilient future. For more information on the methods used, view the Community Engagement Summary.
Project Timeline
December 2024: The project team solicited applicants for the community task force to help center frontline communities be represented throughout the process.
January 2025: The project gained momentum with two Virtual Kickoff events to introduce the initiative to the broader community. A Climate Pollution Inventory Overview was also provided to summarize the results of the 2023 Climate Pollution Inventory.
February to April 2025: The focus shifted to public outreach, with a series of community events, presentations, listening sessions, and working groups designed to gather input from a broad range of participants.
May - July 2025: The project team hosted a Climate Strategy Workshop Series focusing on critical areas such as buildings, transportation, and circularity. These workshops brought together technical stakeholders, Community Task Force members, and the general public to develop and prioritize actionable strategies to address sector-specific challenges and opportunities.
July - August 2025: The project team began drafting the first version of the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, consolidating input from the outreach and workshops into a cohesive set of goals and strategies. Public engagement will continue throughout this period to keep the community involved and ensure their voices remain central to the planning process.
September - October 2025: The draft plan was released to the Community Task Force and Policy Advisors for review and comment. Outreach efforts intensified to solicit feedback.
November - December 2025: The first version of the plan was finalized to submit to the EPA, incorporating feedback from the public comment period and ensuring the strategies reflect the community’s priorities. This version was submitted to the EPA by December 1st, 2025. Email sustainability@cabq.gov to access a copy of those materials.
January 2026 - June 2026: The project team developed a branded, public-facing plan that was digitally released on Earth Day Festival. This version of the plan and associated resources can be found on this website or on the City of Albuquerque Sustainability Office website. Ongoing efforts include printing hard copies and sharing the public-facing version of the plan with community partners and the general public.
June 2026 - July 2027: The project team will utilize any remaining grant resources and staff time to assist with plan facilitation and implementation.