(a) The General Assembly finds all of the following: (1) Anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are contributing to climate change and have caused global temperatures to rise by approximately 1 degree Celsius above preindustrial levels. (2) Climate change threatens the health and well-being of the people of Delaware, particularly Delawareans residing in historically over-burdened and under-served communities, and results in severe impacts such as sea-level rise, increasing temperatures and changes to precipitation patterns. Climate change will also intensify and increase the frequency of extreme weather events, such as coastal storm surges, flooding, and heat waves. (3) The threat that climate change poses to Delaware is multi-faceted, resulting in disruptions and damage to the State's agriculture industry, water resources, built infrastructure, natural resources, and public health. (4) Delaware has the lowest mean elevation of any state in the nation and is therefore particularly vulnerable to coastal climate change impacts, including sea-level rise, flooding, saltwater intrusion into drinking water and agricultural lands, erosion, wetland loss, beach loss, and extreme storm events. (5) Delaware's economy and public safety are dependent on transportation, water, and energy infrastructure systems that must be adaptive to current and future climate change. (6) Climate change poses risks to Delaware's continued economic vitality, including an industrial center and major port located on the Delaware River, subject to flooding and storm surge; a tourism economy on the Atlantic Beach communities exposed to sea-level rise, flooding, and storm impacts; and a robust agriculture sector vulnerable to weather extremes, flooding, and saltwater intrusion. (7) The continued health and quality of life of Delaware's residents are dependent upon reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases and maintaining and improving the State's resiliency to the impacts of climate change. (8) Actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resiliency to climate change have co-benefits to economic development, job opportunities, public health and air and water quality. (b) Based on its findings in subsection (a) of this section, the General Assembly determines that it is in the public interest to develop a comprehensive approach to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the State and to maximize the State's adaptation and resiliency to the effects of climate change.
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