Grant County, Washington | Comprehensive Plan Climate Element
Lotus worked with Measure Meant to complete the climate element of Grant County’s Comprehensive Plan, a requirement for all Washington jurisdictions through the Growth Management Act. Lotus assisted with the development of a climate vulnerability assessment, an iterative process that included future climate projections, “at-risk” populations, and an assessment of probability and magnitude of consequence regarding climate-related hazards specific to Grant County.
The assessment was supplemented by an engagement process targeting the Hispanic/Latinx population given their large composition of the County’s population. Engagement activities included Climate Advisory Team meetings composed of government and community stakeholders, critical partner interviews with local municipalities in Grant County and community-based organizations, focus groups structured around five climate sub-topics, meetings-in-a-box (MIABs) for the public, a public survey, and tabling at the County’s Umani Festival. Key to the success of engagement was connecting with CBOs to gain actionable insights and community connections in a largely rural, agricultural community.
Pierce County, WA | GHG Inventory
Lotus developed 2015 and 2019 municipal operations GHG inventories for Pierce County, Washington. Lotus analyzed building level data and estimated emission factors for several utilities from which the County receives electricity. Additionally, Lotus created an inventory management plan (IMP) documenting all data sources and methods used in the inventory. The IMP also included instructions for updating inventories enabling Pierce County to develop their own inventories in the future.
“Lotus conducted Pierce County’s operational greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Their level of knowledge and expertise made the process straightforward and painless, analyzing diverse datasets and distilling complex calculations into sharable narratives. Frequent communication, quick turnarounds, and the team’s positivity made it an overall great experience.”