Six Kentucky Counties Team Up to Fight Climate Change

When tornadoes killed more than 50 Kentuckians in the west and floods claimed 39 lives in the east, communities across the state realized climate change wasn't someone else's problem.

Now six counties in central Kentucky are doing something about it together. Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Jessamine, Scott and Woodford counties just published a shared climate action plan covering more than half a million people.

The plan targets cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 23 percent by 2035 and 40 percent by 2050. But what makes it special isn't just the numbers, it's who's cooperating.

"There are three parts to this, and it includes the environment, the people and the economy," says Jada Walker Griggs, senior program manager in sustainability for Lexington-Fayette Urban City Government. "We believe if we focus on those three areas, then we can make our community stronger."

Kentucky ranks as the sixth most climate vulnerable state in America, according to Texas A&M University research. From 2020 to 2024 alone, the state endured 27 billion-dollar climate disasters.

The counties in this partnership face wildly different challenges. Fayette County scored in the 58th percentile for climate vulnerability, while nearby Clark County ranked 91st and Bourbon County hit 96th nationwide.

Those differences come down to infrastructure quality and residents' physical health. By working together, wealthier counties can share resources while rural areas contribute local knowledge about land use and agriculture.

Lauren Cagle, a University of Kentucky professor specializing in climate communication, says the project shatters false assumptions about rural Kentucky. "I am delighted to share that that is a false assumption," she says about claims that Kentuckians don't care about climate action.

The collaboration started when Lexington officials searched for implementation grants in 2023. They discovered they could access more federal funding by including the entire metropolitan statistical area instead of going solo.

A $1 million EPA grant now funds the Central Kentucky Climate Action Plan. Cities within the six counties can also participate, creating a web of cooperation that crosses political and geographic lines.

The Ripple Effect

This regional approach shows other communities nationwide that climate action doesn't have to divide along urban-rural or red-blue lines. When counties pool resources and expertise, they build resilience faster than any single community could alone.

Lexington already aims for carbon neutrality by 2050 and has reduced fuel consumption since 2004. Now smaller neighboring counties can benefit from that experience while contributing their own solutions.

The partnership proves that when climate disasters affect everyone, communities can choose cooperation over division and make real progress together.