Thursday, October 1, 2026
The City of Tumwater now aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which is in line with state goals.
The Tumwater City Council adopted a resolution on Tuesday, Feb. 3, expanding the city’s emission targets.
Previously, Tumwater aimed to cut emissions 45% below 2015 levels by 2030 and 85% by 2050, targets adopted as part of the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan in 2021.
Under the new target, the city will use 2022 as a baseline year, when the city produced 3,736 metric tons of equivalent CO₂.
Tumwater Susatainability Manager Alyssa Jones Wood told the council the new target was science-based and consistent with the state’s long-term climate goals. She said the resolution also intends to eliminate inconsistencies among existing city documents that reference different goals.
She said while achieving net-zero emissions would partially depend on state and federal action, local policies, such as the city’s Climate Element in the 2025 Comprehensive Plan, outline how Tumwater can move toward the goal.
She acknowledged the target is ambitious, but assured that climate work carries co-benefits.
“The cool thing about climate work is that often it has co-benefits that improve our community anyway, that make life better for people in our community, make it more livable,” Jones Wood said.
Jones Wood also addressed why the city would adopt a more ambitious goal despite not doing well with the current targets.
She said the city’s latest greenhouse gas inventory from 2022 was conducted before Tumwater established a full-time sustainability office and was just shortly after the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan was adopted. As a result, she said the data did not yet capture the positive effects of those actions.
Before the council passed the resolution, Council member Joan Cathey asked how federal rollbacks of environmental programs would affect Tumwater’s ability to meet its goals.
Jones Wood said while some state funding sources remain available, overall grant opportunities have declined.
“Normally I'm juggling between six and eight grants from either the federal government or the state government. Right now, I have … one,” Jones Wood said.
In response, Cathey encouraged Jones Wood to continue her good work, but urged staffers to be more straightforward down the line.
“I think in some of your reports, be realistic,” Cathey said. “Don't keep some of the depressing things away from us, so we keep trying hard to stay with this climate action.”
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terry
They won’t be able to accurately measure the numbers or efficacy but feel goodism is its own reward
Monday, February 9 Report this
JW
A meaningless amount of difference on worldwide emissions that will provide a meaningful impact on the finances of their citizens.
Tuesday, February 10 Report this
KarenM
I like this quote from staff - “The cool thing about climate work is that often it has co-benefits that improve our community anyway, that make life better for people in our community, make it more livable,” Jones Wood said.
Helping people reduce their energy bills mean that they have household budget available for other important things such as paying the mortgage or rent or paying for education. Reducing traffic means less noise in neighborhoods and fewer traffic crashes.
Thank you Tumwater for continuing to implement the Climate Action Plan.
Tuesday, February 10 Report this
CobraCommander
Terry and JW are chronically online, and that's just fine because they have no impact on the real world with real people
Tuesday, February 10 Report this
Southsoundguy
See below. Climate change is a total scam and wealth transfer scheme.
https://clivebest.com/blog/?p=1169
https://clivebest.com/blog/?p=2241
Tuesday, February 10 Report this
CobraCommander
SouthSoundLoser -
No, it isn't, the data is irrefutable, and our own military confirms it
https://www.sustainability.gov/pdfs/dod-2024-cap.pdf
Wednesday, February 11 Report this
HotTractor
terry, JW and southsound all sit in there yards yelling at people, "Get off my grass!!"
Thursday, February 12 Report this