For Austin to be a thriving, equitable, and ecologically resilient community, we must have a system for growing, selling, and consuming food that works for everyone. To work toward this vision, the Office of Sustainability launched a new Food Justice Mini Grant program. The program sought to provide flexible funding of up to $3,000 to organizations supporting those in our community most negatively impacted by food-related injustice…

We’re pleased to introduce you to Aimee Aubin, our office's new Senior Public Information Specialist. Aimee will be working on design and community storytelling.

We asked Aimee a few get-to-know-you questions so you can learn more about her and her background.

Q: Where are you from, and what do you like best about your hometown?

A: I’m from Bay Shore, New York, which is on the south shore of Long Island. It was a great place to grow up. I always f…

Hey, sports fans! Austin’s new professional soccer team, Austin FC, will play its first home game at Q2 Stadium on Saturday, June 19.  So, what does this have to do with going green? Aside from the team’s primary color and its rallying cry “Verde! Listos!”, the sustainability features in the stadium are first-rate.

Located near The Domain, Q2 Stadium was built with fan comfort and the…

We’re pleased to introduce you to Phillip Duran, a new Senior Climate Analyst in our office. Phillip will be working on data analysis, specifically calculating citywide and municipal greenhouse gas emissions.

We asked Phillip a few get-to-know-you questions so you can learn more about him and his background.

Q: Where are you from and what do you like best about your hometown?

A: I’m from a little place just east of Dallas called Rockwall, Texas – it’s the littlest county in the bigge…

I’m helping to make Austin net-zero by building a green home using reclaimed materials and generating power on-site

Meet David Brearley, a solar energy professional and technical writer. David serves on the Board of Directors for both the Texas Solar Energy Society and Solar Austin. In early 2015, David embarked on a journey to build a green accessory dwelling unit (ADU) that could accommodate guests and also be…

The Office of Sustainability wants to acknowledge the lives of Mike Ramos, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and countless others killed and devastated by white supremacy and police violence. We see Black people who are raising their voices in the streets to demand justice and stand with them. In the midst of a global pandemic, these tragic acts of police violence amplify and highlight the fact that Black communities face the injustices of systemic racism that are ingrained in every level of our society. We respect and honor the sadness, grief, fear, rage, and frustration that Black people and Black communities are feeling through their lived experience.

In o…

As we embark on revising Austin’s Community Climate Plan, a lot has changed since we created our first plan in 2015. 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.

As part of our planning process, we convened six advi…

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by beautifying communities.

Meet Raasin McIntosh, Olympic and collegiate athlete ,and Founder of the non-profit organization Raasi…

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by encouraging neighbors to actively take part in zero waste.

Meet Taylor Youngblood, a recycle and reuse advocate and Zero Waste Block Leader. Taylor regularly provides advice to her neighbors in the Mueller neighborhood about recycling, composting, and reuse. She tables at events,…

We’re making Austin Net-Zero by organizing students to demand climate action.

Meet Matthew Kim and Emma Galbraith, our newest Net-Zero Heroes. Matthew and Emma are Austin-area high school students who recently helped lead the youth climate change demons…