Austin's Community Climate Plan
Let's work together to build a thriving, resilient, and equitable future for everyone! This year, we're updating our 5-year priorities to meet Austin's net-zero climate goals, and we need your input to identify the strategies that will reduce emissions and benefit our community.
Background
Austin's Community Climate Plan was first adopted in 2015 and helped set the direction for net-zero emissions in Austin by 2050. Five years later, we're updating the plan with the goal of addressing racial equity while reducing our community's greenhouse gas emissions.
As we embark on this process, we recognize that a lot has changed since we created our first plan. We now know that climate change is happening faster than we thought and that the landscape of potential solutions has changed in terms of cost and technology. We also know that climate solutions have the potential to improve everyone’s quality of life, but climate change impacts don’t affect everyone equally. This is why we are leading with racial equity and learning from the lived experience of people in our community as we explore solutions to the climate crisis.
Our Process
As part of the Climate Plan Update, we convened six advisory groups that will focus on specific topics related to energy, transportation, food, and access to nature. We also launched a Climate Ambassadors Program that will give us the opportunity to hear from people in our community who have been historically left out of the conversation. All-in-all, this effort includes over 130 people who will meet regularly over the course of six months. As these groups begin to identify goals and strategies, we'll be reaching out using this platform to get your feedback.
Getting involved
Our team will use this page to ask and answer questions, provide updates, and gather feedback and stories. We hope you'll engage with us here, or at any of our in-person or virtual meetings and workshops.
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Quick update and a video
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThe Climate Plan revision process is rolling along! Since our last update, all of our meetings are being held virtually. Right now, our Advisory Groups are hard at work on creating the goals and strategies that will form the backbone of this plan.
Recently, our team recorded a webinar to share with City Boards and Commission groups, and we thought we'd post it here as well. The video gives a good overview of the plan, why it's important and how we're working to infuse racial equity within it.
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Update on Climate Plan meetings due to COVID-19
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkDue to the unprecedented COVID-19 situation, the City’s Office of Sustainability has fully transitioned to working remotely. The Coronavirus has caused many disruptions to our team, and to the daily lives of our community members. This has forced us to think creatively about ways to stay connected. It has also amplified the inequitable social conditions currently at hand, showing how deeply interconnected we all are — locally and globally.
To keep the climate plan revision process on track, we have made the decision to shift all advisory group meetings to virtual or teleconference. Community members are welcome to join these meetings, and the full schedule can be found here. We understand that this will be challenging, but our team is going to do our best to make the transition as smooth as possible. Over the next month, the advisory groups will be working on developing goals and strategies for lowering greenhouse gas emissions while addressing racial and economic equity in our community.
If you are interested in providing feedback about the plan, but are unable to join a meeting, we hope you’ll consider taking our Quick Community Survey. We will also be asking for feedback on a draft version of the plan in the coming months.
Stay safe and be well,
The Office of Sustainability Climate Team
