BELFAST City Council is to develop a climate plan in a bid to address the ongoing crisis.
Members agreed to an 18-month programme of work to address the climate crisis, including a future date for decarbonisation.
It comes after council members last month declared a climate emergency.
Brian Kingston, chair of the council's strategic policy and resources committee, said: "It's no secret that Belfast has some ground to make up when it comes to preparing for climate change and having a mitigation plan in place.
"Council is showing leadership by considering its own role, and the impact our decisions can have on the city's climate resilience.
"Climate change has reached a point where we need to make urgent and concerted efforts to understand and prepare for its impact - both through research and considering good practice from other cities."
The plan will establish science-based targets for decarbonisation and look at ways the council can transition to a low carbon economy within a generation.
The plan will be developed in three phases, research and data collection, setting targets and priorities and agreeing actions for implementation with the first part expected to be completed by June 2020.
Mr Kingston added: "Many organisations produce two separate plans - one around adaptation and one around mitigation; but due to the climate crisis we’re facing and the level of urgency, council will take forward both plans in tandem.
"They will also be aligned with the city’s wider resilience strategy."
