Consider and take appropriate action on the Climate Action Plan for Travis County Operations: A 2026 Update. (Commissioners Shea & Howard)

Staff Report & Agenda Item Details

In August 2019, Travis County joined other local governments from across the globe in passing a resolution declaring climate change an emergency. The resolution called for immediate action to improve the well-being of our community by limiting our environmental impacts, and to be better prepared for the local effects of climate change. Around this same time, government agencies were also being asked to develop climate action plans to help improve their bond ratings. Both factors helped put into motion swift actions by County staff to develop the first internal Climate Action Plan. This plan, passed by the Commissioners Court in 2020, was developed as a roadmap for how the County could reduce its operational greenhouse gas emissions. The plan outlined strategies related to the following seven categories: energy usage, water usage, transportation practices, resiliency, waste/recycling, purchasing, and culture and process improvements. <br id="isPasted"> <br>Shortly after the plan was approved, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought a rapid change to business operations. In March 2020, all non-essential staff suddenly transitioned to remote work, and the County adopted electronic process solutions for everything from document management to virtual meetings. In May 2020, the Commissioners Court set a target to keep 75 percent of eligible staff working from home permanently. Travis County saw a significant reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions during this unprecedented time.   <br> <br>As the acute phase of the pandemic closed, a new hybrid way of doing business emerged. The shift to electronic processes remained largely intact, but more staff were working in person again. Changing practices and priorities led County leaders to look for ways to balance employee mental health, customer needs, and environmental issues. It is in this context that staff opened conversations about updating the Climate Action Plan.<br> <br>In 2024, County departments met to revisit the original Climate Action Plan. Staff thoughtfully reassessed each goal considering current business operations and suggested new activities to include. In 2025, all the data captured from the departmental meetings was compiled and tabulated, and now in 2026, we present the completed Climate Action Plan for internal operations.