What's In the Plan
The Climate Action Plan focuses on how Seattle will reduce the local greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. But in today’s world, we must think bigger and anticipate and respond to the impacts we are already experiencing.
Meeting this challenge requires being creative and working together across different disciplines and zones of action. We must stay focused on outcomes that benefit our communities. And we must be resilient by making the changes we need, while responding to the changes that are already happening.
Climate Action Plan Goals
We invite you to learn more about the goals and community outcomes that the Climate Action Plan is seeking to create, alongside some examples of City projects and programs that are already taking climate action for a safer, healthier, and more equitable Seattle.
Protect Health and Safety
People throughout Seattle – especially communities of color – are already experiencing the dangerous results of more severe storms, rising seas, wildfire smoke, and scorching hot days caused by climate change. From buildings damaged by flooding to people harmed by poor air quality or overheating, we are confronting increasing risks to our health and safety.
Strengthen Neighborhoods and Natural Places
An important strategy for strengthening our neighborhoods is to care for our natural areas that are within the urban environment. When we make sure that nature-based systems like creeks and wetlands are healthy and integrated with human-created landscapes, wildlife thrives, and the places where people live, learn, and play can grow stronger.
Create Clean and Affordable Homes and Trips
The ways we travel and the homes we live in are the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Seattle – mostly due to the energy we need to operate them. There are major opportunities to create cleaner and more affordable ways to live our day-to-day lives that reduce emissions at the same time.
Build a Green Economy that Works for Everyone
Large-scale change to more climate-friendly ways of living potentially brings major economic changes, too. We need to make sure that everyone can prosper in a greener future.
Strengthen Shared Climate Leadership and Community Partnership
Embed climate accountability into City operations, procurement, budgeting, and capital planning. Build shared responsibility and enhance coordination across departments to ensure climate considerations are central to how the City functions and invests, and report progress clearly and regularly.