City of Eugene's 10-year Climate Action Plan 2.0 more than two-thirds complete
The City of Eugene released its 2024 climate progress update, revealing that the Climate Action Plan 2.0 is 67% complete halfway into their 10 year plan.
EUGENE, Ore. – Now halfway through its 10-year cycle, the City of Eugene’s Climate Action Plan 2.0 is more than two-thirds complete, city officials said.
The city recently released its 2024 climate progress update report. In order for the city to reach their climate action goals they have to reduce fossil fuel emissions by 50% by 2030, they are currently 39% away from that goal.
“Since 2010, there’s been an 11% drop in greenhouse gas emissions, so that’s good news. It’s also not enough,” said Danielle Klinkebiel, Climate Policy Analyst for the City of Eugene. “In order to reach our goals, we need to drop another 39% by 2030. So we’re actually not on track to meet our goals even though we’ve implemented a majority of the plan.”
Klinkebiel said multiple challenges may stand in the way of achieving that goal.
“We’re in a really hard moment right now with some changes at the federal level and even at the state level,” Klinkebiel said. “We face a lot of new challenges in terms of funding to support this work.”
She also said what needs to be done to secure funding.
“So, we will be going to city council this fall to explore what are the best near term opportunities that we can do,” Klinkebiel said. “Where can we best direct our direct limited resources to have the most impact?”
While there is uncertainty regarding budget cuts, the city will continue striving to reduce harmful gas emissions by 2030.
In 2014 the Eugene City Council set climate goals through the Climate Recovery Ordinance. That ordinance set out to reduce emissions by 2030.
“A couple of things that we are working on,” Klinkebiel said. “So we have the transportation system plan that prioritizes the different upgrades to infrastructure, transportation upgrades that we’re gonna be making. Expanding bike lanes, expanding curbs.”
But local residents will also have to pull their weight to reach that goal.
“I think the message out to the community is, we recognize that it’s gonna take both big system lever changes, you know, policy level change in order to reach our goals,” Klinkebiel said “We also know that it’s gonna take your everyday person making small changes in their lives.”