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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 embarked on this process, we recognized that a lot has changed since we created our first plan. We now know that climate change is happening faster than we thought and 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 chose to lead with racial equity and learn from the lived experience of people in our community to explore solutions to the climate crisis.
Our Process
As part of updating the Climate Plan, we convened six advisory groups to focus on specific topics related to energy, transportation, food, and access to nature. We also launched a Climate Ambassadors Program that gave us the opportunity to hear from people in our community who have been historically excluded from the climate conversation. All-in-all, this effort included over 130 people who met regularly over the course of six months. As these groups began to identify goals and strategies, we used this platform to get community 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.
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 embarked on this process, we recognized that a lot has changed since we created our first plan. We now know that climate change is happening faster than we thought and 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 chose to lead with racial equity and learn from the lived experience of people in our community to explore solutions to the climate crisis.
Our Process
As part of updating the Climate Plan, we convened six advisory groups to focus on specific topics related to energy, transportation, food, and access to nature. We also launched a Climate Ambassadors Program that gave us the opportunity to hear from people in our community who have been historically excluded from the climate conversation. All-in-all, this effort included over 130 people who met regularly over the course of six months. As these groups began to identify goals and strategies, we used this platform to get community 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.
The 2020 Austin Climate Equity Plan is ready for your feedback! We hope you'll take some time to view the plan's goals and strategies and let us know what you think.
First, some background:
City staff, local experts and Austin residents came together over 10 months to recommend 18 goals and 75 strategies, aimed at curbing emissions and achieving racial equity through climate action. In all, nearly 200 Austin residents participated in the process. This plan will update our first Community Climate Plan, which was adopted in 2015.
The new plan prioritizes actions that support low-income communities and communities of color. These communities have generally contributed the least to climate change, but are the most negatively impacted by climate change.
¡El Plan de Equidad Climática de Austin 2020 está listo para recibir sus comentarios! Esperamos que tome un poco de tiempo para ver las metas y estrategias del plan y nos haga saber lo que piensa.
Primero, algunos antecedentes:
El personal de la ciudad, los expertos locales y los residentes de Austin se reunieron durante 10 meses para recomendar 18 metas y 75 estrategias, destinadas a reducir las emisiones y lograr la equidad racial a través de la acción climática. En total, casi 200 residentes de Austin participaron en el proceso. Este plan actualizará nuestro primer Plan de Clima Comunitario, que fue adoptado en 2015.
El nuevo plan da prioridad a las acciones que apoyan a las comunidades de bajos ingresos y las comunidades de color. Por lo general, estas comunidades son las que menos han contribuido al cambio climático, pero son las más afectadas negativamente por el cambio climático.
All-in-all, updating the plan will involve 130+ participants and over 75 meetings. The goal is to build a more inclusive, equitable climate plan that benefits
everyone.
Meetings, Workshops, and Gathering Feedback
Austin Climate Equity Plan has finished this stage
Austin Climate Equity Plan has finished this stage
The Sustainability Office will take the feedback, ideas, and input gathered from the various meetings and community workshops to set priorities for the updated Community Climate Plan. During this time, we'll ask for online feedback and comments about the draft plan.
Releasing the Draft Plan for Public Comment
Austin Climate Equity Plan has finished this stage
The Office of Sustainability will make the draft Austin Climate Equity Plan available for public comment. During this time, community members will be able to comment on the contents of the plan and fill out a related survey.
During this time, the Climate Team will also be hosting webinars on topics covered in the plan.
Revising the Draft Plan based on Community Feedback
Austin Climate Equity Plan has finished this stage
After the public comment period closes on Sept. 30, 2020, the Office of Sustainability will review the feedback and make changes to the draft Climate Equity Plan prior to presenting it to the City council.
Plan is adopted by the Austin City Council
Austin Climate Equity Plan is currently at this stage
The Office of Sustainability presented the Austin Climate Equity Plan to City Council, and the plan was adopted on Sept. 30, 2021.
