Houston’s Climate Action Plan was released April 22, in the midst of the headline-grabbing coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Sylvester Turner said it was important not to delay the release of the plan any further.
“With what is happening to our planet, we are going to see a growing number of these pandemics,” Council Member Abbie Kamin said.
Kamin noted that the city of Houston's increased reliance on renewable energy places it among the top cities in the U.S. using such sources for municipal functions.
Since 2005, emissions from city-owned buildings and vehicles has reduced 37%, a press release accompanying the plan stated.
The plan has received letters of support both from climate advocacy groups, such as Air Alliance Houston and The Nature Conservancy, as well as from members of Houston’s energy sector such as Chevron and Shell Oil Co.
The document outlines ways the city can follow the Paris Agreement, an international coalition of counties and cities committed to reducing worldwide carbon emissions.
Over the next 30 years, the plan calls for the following goals:
By 2025
Adopt a new energy-efficient building code
Recruit 50 alternative energy companies to the greater Houston area,
By 2030
Convert all city fleet to electric vehicles
Convert all solid waste trucks to low-emission vehicles
Plant 4.6 million native trees
Train and hire enough building operators to oversee energy efficiency at 70% of all non residential-buildings
By 2040
Reduce residential waste by 50%
By 2050
Have 5 million megawatt hours of electricity provided by local solar energy
Achieve carbon neutrality
View the full Climate Action Plan below.
