A new analysis from the Rural Climate Partnership estimates that at least 36% of climate-harming emissions are produced in rural America, despite rural America only representing 18% of the U.S. population. This means we have huge opportunities across rural America, and the Midwest in particular, to build rural climate solutions—from how we produce power to how we fuel our cars, from farming practices and big industry to electrifying our homes and businesses.
Through ongoing partnerships with rural communities, the report found, we can help unlock much-needed emissions reductions while fostering stronger local economies, creating more jobs, and protecting rural landscapes.
Effective solutions require the dedication and ingenuity of rural people themselves—the hard-working individuals, small businesses, and farmers who intimately understand their local landscapes and economies. Change must be rooted in the rural experience and tailored to the specific contexts and the unique priorities of rural America and the Midwest.
The report suggests that to bolster rural climate solutions, ongoing and explicitly rural investments from state and federal governments, philanthropy, and the private sector are necessary. Resources can help fund infrastructure development and job creation around renewable energy and cleaner industries, provide initial capital for farmers to pursue regenerative practices, and help rural residents and businesses electrify their homes and vehicles.
