Why This Measure Matters

Climate change is a significant and long-term change in weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to thousands of years. This includes major changes in temperature, precipitation or wind patterns that occur over several decades or longer.

Addressing climate change includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit future warming (climate mitigation), while also adapting and building community-wide resilience to the impacts that can no longer be avoided (climate adaptation).

What’s the Story?

Thurston County’s total greenhouse gas emissions increased by approximately 6.6% from 2015 to 2022. Emissions increased 13% from 2015 to 2019, dropped more than 18% from 2019 to 2020 (largely as a result of decreasing transportation emissions during the pandemic), ​then increased 16% from 2020 to 2022.

For more information, visit https://thurstonclimatecollaborative.org/greenhouse-gas-emission-inventories/

Target

The City of Olympia has committed to reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 59% by 2030 (as compared to a 2019 baseline) and achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.

Reporting frequency