The Environmental Resilience Program works to raise awareness of climate change in Travis County and to empower residents and businesses with information and strategies to reduce climate impacts and be prepared. Learn more about the Environmental Resilience Program.
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What to Expect in Travis County
Our planet’s climate is changing, and we are already feeling the effects. A few degrees of warming may not seem like much, but it can have drastic consequences for our health, well-being and economy.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Travis County
Human activities such as burning fuel to generate energy, power vehicles, and heat homes are changing the earth’s atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases act like the glass in a greenhouse, trapping the sun’s heat near the earth’s surface. The more greenhouse gases build up over time, the more the earth heats up. To avoid the worst effects of climate change, we need to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases being added to the atmosphere, and increase the amount being absorbed by forests and other landscapes.
The good news is, greenhouse gas emissions in Travis County have been going down. This is due largely to Austin Energy’s steady transition to renewable energy as well as the efforts of individuals, local governments, and businesses across the county. Learn more from the 2021 Travis County Greenhouse Gas Inventory (PDF). Even though progress is being made, there’s still a long way to go to achieve Travis County’s goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 which is needed to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The only way to reach this ambitious goal is by working together.
Travis County is committed to reducing the climate impacts of its operations. In 2020, we produced an Internal GHG inventory and subsequently created a Climate Action Plan for county operations. We have been reducing our emissions by improving energy efficiency in our buildings, adding electric and hybrid vehicles to our fleet, and enabling more employees to work from home.
How to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The biggest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved by:
- Transitioning power generation from fossil fuels to clean energy sources, such as solar and wind.
- Powering homes and businesses fully with electricity (also known as “building electrification”)
- Switching to electric vehicles
- Reducing vehicle usage by increasing public transportation, hikes/bikeways, etc.
- Expanding recycling and composting programs to reduce organic waste
