Climate Action Plans with a Sunny Outlook

In this episode of Geographical Thinking, host Michelle Brake is joined by Sunny Fleming, Director of Environment, Conservation & Natural Resources Solutions at Esri Inc., to explore the crucial role of GIS in shaping effective and resilient climate action plans. Drawing on personal experiences with extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Helene, and professional insights gained through years of working with environmental data. Sunny shares how spatial thinking and GIS technology are transforming the way communities respond to climate change.

Together, Michelle and Sunny unpack the concept of climatehavens, discuss the common gaps in existing climate plans, and highlight how geospatial tools can bridge those gaps with real-time data, predictive modeling, and community-driven insights. They also explore the evolving role of technologies like GeoAI in supporting long-term climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.Whether you're part of a government agency, organization, or simply a curious individual, this conversation offers valuable advice on how to begin integrating GIS into climate action planning. Tune in to learn how mapping the right data can help us all prepare for an uncertain future—and take meaningful action today.