To achieve deep reductions in climate pollution, all employees, leaders, policies, and plans must integrate climate action. Each department needs to have dedicated employees that coordinate implementation and leader sponsorship around climate action priorities. Employees do not need to have climate action in their job title because climate action is everyone’s job. A parts specialist needs to understand the implication for indoor air quality of purchasing another natural gas water heater that will last 15 years, and a vehicle mechanic needs to understand that a refrigerant gas leak may emit more pollution than driving a car for a year. Leaders need to know and communicate to their teams how their work contributes to addressing climate change and encourage employees to identify their own solutions to reduce emissions.
This is not a new concept in King County. King County has been playing a leadership role in climate action for more than 20 years through its management of a wide range of services and programs for the benefit of over 2.3 million residents. The County has been recognized and successfully implemented many targeted climate action initiatives. Achieving the ambitious and aggressive targets in the 2025 SCAP will require additional resources and better use of the resources available.
What's at stake
Everyone has a role in tackling climate change. Too often, purchasing or budget decisions impact GHG emissions or limit progress on climate priorities without County employees or leaders realizing it. With limited resources, not all projects and priorities can be funded. However, the County must improve identifying and evaluating climate impacts early in the decision-making process. Not considering climate impacts early makes it harder for the County to meet its goals. It also leads to inefficiencies, where late-stage issues cause missed opportunities for community benefits and add costs, delays, and changes to project plans.
A better outcome
King County is committed to continuously improving equity, efficiency, and effectiveness in its operations. This includes ensuring all employees, leaders, plans, and policies confidently advance the County’s climate goals. King County will chart a path to expand funding and resources to advance 2025 SCAP goals.
What we've done to get here
- Reduced total governmental greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 24 percent from 2007 to 2023.
- Established the Executive Climate Office (ECO), Climate Team, and Executive Climate Cabinet to coordinate climate work across the enterprise.