We are Washington’s lead agency on climate change. The impacts of climate change are happening now and will continue to affect our communities and ecosystems for decades to come. Learn how we are already responding to and planning for future impacts of climate change in Washington state.

Washington state's climate policies all work towards one goal: reducing climate pollution 95% by 2050. State leaders have enacted numerous policies to fight climate change, but the seven described below form the foundation of Washington's climate efforts.

Because the Northwest Climate Hub region is diverse and expansive - containing everything from the highest peak in the United States (Denali) to dry sagebrush steppe - the effects of climate change differ throughout Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Climate change in the US state of Washington is a subject of study and projection today. The major impacts of climate change in Washington State include increase in carbon dioxide levels, increase in temperatures, earlier annual snow melt, sea level rise, and others.

Climate change is harming our health, our safety and our economy. Washingtonians are stepping up to be part of the solution. Thanks to several nation-leading policies, Washingtonians have more options for cleaner, healthier homes, schools, businesses and communities.

Prioritizes environmental justice and advances our focus on equity and reducing impacts of climate change on overburdened communities. Identifies ways the state can aid climate-response activities by local and tribal governments and others.

Sep 30, 2024 · Using the latest science as a foundation, the state’s climate strategy identifies actions that agencies will take to address the top climate change threats facing Washington: drought, changing ocean conditions, flooding, extreme heat, and wildfires and smoke.

To be able to plan for and adapt to these changes, we need to understand how the climate will change in Washington State, and what the impacts will be. Climate change projections provide this information through mathematical modeling of the anticipated changes.

Washington’s climate is changing. Over the past century, most of the state has warmed one to two degrees (F). Glaciers are retreating, the snowpack is melting earlier in the year, and the flow of meltwater into streams during summer is declining.

Planning for climate change. Legislation signed into law in 2023 added a climate goal to the Growth Management Act (GMA) and requires local comprehensive plans to have a climate element. Climate elements must maximize economic, environmental, and social co-benefits and prioritize environmental justice in order to avoid worsening environmental ...