Office of Sustainability & Environment Jessica Finn Coven, Director
CREATING A WORLD CLASS SUSTAINABLE CITY
The Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) develops and implements citywide environmental policies and programs that propel our city toward a sustainable, equitable, and carbon neutral future. We collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders to develop innovative environmental solutions that foster equity, vibrant communities, and shared prosperity.
NEW - August 2017: Seattle's Climate Preparedness Strategy
While we must continue to reduce our GHG emissions, historic pollution has and will continue to impact the global climate. Climate change will shift the frequency, intensity, and timing of extreme weather events such as flooding, heat waves, and high tides. The Seattle Climate Preparedness Strategy outlines a range of actions Seattle will pursue to prepare for a changing climate.
The Office of Sustainability and Environment delivers cutting-edge policies and effective programs to address Seattle's environmental challenges while creating vibrant communities and building shared prosperity.
Seattle's Environmental Progress Report - Moving the Needle - April 2017
This report shows that more Seattlites are riding transit, buying from local farmers, conserving more energy and cutting the amount of waste going to landfills.
Download the report (PDF file)
The report highlights Seattle's progress towards goals in environmental categories such as climate, building energy, transportation, food, trees and green space, complete neighborhoods, and healthy environment and shows continued progress toward our goal of being better stewards of the environment and fighting climate change.
MEETING THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE
Our actions today determine how much climate change will impact future generations. Seattle is leading the development of climate solutions even as we also prepare our residents and businesses for the climate impacts they are likely to experience.
OSE develops policies and implements programs that reduce climate pollution from our transportation and building sectors. OSE also provides guidance on how Seattle can minimize disproportionate climate impacts on our most vulnerable populations.
CHAMPIONING ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY
In Seattle, like in most cities, those who shape and benefit from environmental policies and outcomes are primarily white, upper-income communities despite the fact that people of color, immigrants, refugees, and people with low incomes often bear a disproportionate burden of environmental impacts.
OSE is leading the City effort to shift our approach so those most affected by the combined impact of hazardous pollutant exposure, climate change, and racial-socio economic conditions will lead on designing solution and directly benefit from our investments.
GROWING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
In order to ensure future generations in Seattle enjoy the same benefits as today's residents and businesses, it's critical to protect and enhance our natural environment, preserve and improve public health, and reduce pollution in our waterways and Puget Sound.
OSE coordinates Citywide work for increasing access to local and healthy food; preserving open space and growing our tree canopy; and managing our stormwater runoff in a way that maximizes ecological and neighborhood benefits.
Mayor Murray launched the Equity & Environment Initiative (EEI) on Earth Day in 2015.
The EEI is a partnership of the City, the community, local and national foundations. The EEI is an ongoing commitment to "look under the hood" to understand who is and is not benefiting from Seattle's environmental progress with a focus on lifting up community based solutions and creating opportunities for communities of color, immigrants, refugees, people with low-incomes and limited-English proficiency individuals to be leaders in Seattle's environmental movement.
The EEI is part of the Office of Sustainability & Environment's work plan and was created in partnership with the Environmental Justice and Service Equity Division of Seattle Public Utilities.
On Earth Day on 2016, Mayor Murray released Seattle's first ever Equity & Environment Agenda, a blueprint to advance race and social justice in Seattle's environmental work.
