The federal district court for the District of Massachusetts granted plaintiff states’ motion for a preliminary injunction barring the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal defendants from spending funds allocated to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) pre-disaster mitigation program for non-BRIC purposes until the court renders a final judgment.

Challlenge brought by 20 states to the termination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) pre-disaster mitigation program, which states used for climate resilience projects, and the repurposing of BRIC funds.

Washington v. Federal Emergency Management Agency

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In States’ Challenge to Termination of Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program, Federal Court Temporarily Enjoined FEMA from Using Funds for Other Purposes

Filed

United States of America

Massachusetts

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

Direct investments by the governments using public funds. This can be to support climate initiatives or integrate climate into other projects.

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Actions or measures to adapt terrestrial systems to climate change.

Actions to adapt and increase the resilience of rural and urban infrastructure and settlements to climate change.

Extreme weather refers to events where a weather variable exceeds (or falls below) a threshold. Meaning it is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

Terrestrial means "of the earth" and relates to the risks to ecological system that includes all living organisms and their interactions within land-based environments, such as forests, grasslands, and deserts.

Activities that involve planning, designing and building infrastructure, residential, and commercial structures.

In States’ Challenge to Termination of Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program, Federal Court Temporarily Enjoined FEMA from Using Funds for Other Purposes

Policy instrument

Risk

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance