Delaware unveiled an updated climate action plan earlier this month to cut greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen coastal and inland resilience and safeguard public health and safety as the state confronts rising heat, flooding and other effects of a changing climate.
The 2025 Climate Action Plan builds on earlier strategies and state law, setting targets to cut emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has surveyed residents in recent years to measure concern about climate change and its impacts. In its most recent survey, conducted in 2025, the DNREC found 79% of Delawareans view climate change as a very or somewhat serious threat. State officials say the results help guide policy decisions and inform mitigation and resilience strategies in the updated plan.
The new plan updates Delaware’s 2021 Climate Action Plan and was created by the DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy. It focuses on major sources of emissions, including transportation, industry and energy generation, while outlining steps to protect communities from climate risks and spur clean-energy jobs.
The DNREC’s strategy calls for significant reductions through a combination of cleaner energy sources, efficiency improvements and increased carbon sequestration. Delaware has already reduced emissions in recent years by shifting away from coal, expanding natural gas use and implementing clean energy programs.
State projections show Delaware is on track to reduce net emissions by 36% by 2030 and 54% by 2050 under existing policies. The updated plan accelerates those efforts, with officials saying expanded renewable energy deployment, improved industrial efficiency, wider adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and increased carbon sequestration, could cut net emissions by as much as 96.4% by 2050.
- Transportation: Strategies include reducing vehicle emissions through increased EV adoption, expanded charging infrastructure and investments in public and alternative transportation options.
- Electricity generation and grid infrastructure: The plan supports additional renewable energy, grid modernization and energy storage to improve reliability while lowering emissions.
- Residential and commercial buildings: Measures focus on energy efficiency upgrades, electrification and updated building standards to reduce energy use and costs.
- Forests and urban trees: Forest conservation and tree-planting efforts are highlighted as tools to absorb carbon while improving air quality and community resilience.
- Oceans and wetlands: The plan emphasizes protecting and restoring coastal and wetland ecosystems to buffer against flooding, sea-level rise and storm surge.
- Agriculture: Strategies include supporting climate-smart farming practices that reduce emissions and improve soil health.
- Waste: Efforts target methane reductions through improved waste management, recycling and composting programs.
In addition to emissions reductions, the plan outlines steps to strengthen resilience and adaptation across the state. These include improved climate data collection, updated risk assessments and increased coordination among state agencies to help communities prepare for extreme heat, flooding and other climate-related hazards.
Delaware’s updated climate action plan sets a clearer timetable for progress and accountability. Under state law, the Climate Action Plan must be updated every five years, with regular implementation reports due every two years to track progress toward statutory emissions targets. The state also has scheduled public reviews and updates with the next progress reports expected in 2027 and 2029, and a full plan update due in 2030.
Officials say the plan will evolve as new data, technologies and funding opportunities emerge. These milestones are designed to ensure Delaware stays on track as it works to reduce emissions and prepare communities for the effects of climate change.
Photo by w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
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