Climate Resiliency

Measuring what matters: Shared goals

The Great Lakes basin is home to over 40 million people, sustains a $6 trillion economy and contains over 90% of North America’s supply of surface freshwater. Changes in climate, increased variability of lake levels, and other changing conditions continue to affect the people, places, economy, and environment of the Great Lakes basin.

What we do

The effects of a changing climate include increased risks to existing agriculture, maritime navigation, infrastructure, biological organisms, shorelines and coastal zones, and existing restoration efforts. While each of the Great Lakes basin jurisdictions are currently working to address these impacts, the GLC recognizes the need for information sharing to highlight best practices, policies, planning, and other actions to build resilience and adaptive capacity throughout the Great Lakes.

What we measure

The GLC Standing Committee on Climate Resilience has developed an Action Plan for a Resilient Great Lakes Basin, which forms a roadmap to advance climate resilience in the Great Lakes basin. Blue Accounting will measure progress toward shared goals established by the action plan.

Gale force winds churned up Lake Michigan and created high waves along the South Haven, Michigan, shore. ©flickr/Tom Gill.