Projects

Less heat stress. Improved health. Cleaner air and water. Greater resilience.

A better future is possible. Iowa City has a plan.

We can work together to achieve it. 

In September 2018, the City Council established its first community-wide greenhouse gas emissions target and created a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan to develop strategies to achieve emission reductions.

The following August of 2019, the Council declared a Climate Crisis and approved new emissions goals in accordance with those set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): reduce carbon emissions by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, then achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

City staff were charge with creating the Accelerating Iowa City's Action Plan within 100 days of the Climate Crisis declaration to identify a path toward achieving these emissions reduction goals. It contains 64 actions to be initiated by the City by 2025.

In addition, the Climate Action Toolkit was created as a resource guide to provide residents, businesses, schools and community-based organizations with information to take steps in reducing the City’s community-wide greenhouse gas emissions.

Select a link below to be directed to more information on this page. 
Iowa City Climate Action Today

 

Climate Action Resources for Residents

 

Climate Action Commission

In October 2019, the City Council authorized the creation of a Climate Action Commission to carry out the following duties:

  • advise the council on climate issues
  • research, promote, and analyze climate actions with particular attention to equity
  • engage the public on climate and sustainability goals
  • assist City staff, City Council, and members of the community with implementing approved initiatives that support the City’s climate and sustainability goals.

The commission meets on the first Monday of each month at 3:30 p.m. in City Hall.

The commission consists of 11 members. Two of these are standing members representing the University of Iowa and MidAmerican Energy.

Applications for the commission are accepted year-round and retained for one year in the event that a commission member is unable to continue. 

Questions can be directed to Sarah Gardner, Climate Action Engagement Specialist, at 319-887-6162.

 

Greenhouse Gas Reports

Iowa City Community-wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report 

The purpose of the Community-wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report is to summarize the results of the community-wide GHG inventory using the Global Protocol for Community-Scale GHG Emissions, which identifies both the quantity and sources of emissions produced from activities within Iowa City. This data will assist in informed decision-making to determine future actions to be taken by the community. 

Iowa City Municipal Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The City has made substantial progress since 2000 in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiencies and reducing energy costs in city operations. The goal of this report is to update the past municipal GHG inventory, completed in 2009, using updated data for the City's new benchmark. In comparing past inventories, City staff can gain understanding of trends over time to learn what has been successful, as well as understand how to interpret what efforts might be most impactful in reducing future emissions. 

Consumption Based Emissions Inventory

Iowa City received a grant from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network to pilot a consumption based emissions inventory tool that has been successfully used in Vancouver, Canada. The goal of the project was to a) create a consumption based emissions inventory and an ecological footprint for Iowa City and b) to better understand if the work can be easily replicated in other U.S. cities. This inventory includes not only emissions from locally generated fossil fuel emissions, but also emissions due to consumable materials and food consumed by Iowa City residents. Cities are moving towards gathering this type of information to get a better understanding of a more accurate picture of the emissions generated from urban centers and how to make changes to lower our impact on the planet.

  

 

Climate Projection Report

The Climate in the Heartland is a report that was the result of collaboration between five Midwestern cities and climate experts from their respective states.  This project looked at historical climate data and used a variety of modeling techniques to get an accurate projection of future climate projections for each location. The goal of this work was to assist participating cities as they prepare for climate change impact so they can adapt their operations to better serve citizens in a changing environment. 

 

Eastern Iowa Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan (EVRP)

The Eastern Iowa EVRP is a collective effort that Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls/Waterloo, Dubuque, Davenport, and the regional metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) have established toward the goal of increasing zero-emission vehicle adoption while ensuring the mobility needs of the region and the target carbon emissions reductions are met equitably.

 

University of Iowa Student Research Projects

Since the release of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, students and classes with the University of Iowa have engaged with projects that take a deeper dive into the plan and identify implementation strategies focused on mitigation, adaptation, and equity. These projects have evaluated vulnerabilities to extreme weather events within Iowa City, efforts that can advance clean energy adoption and enhance resilience, and actions that can protect frontline communities. Read reports connected with these projects below.

Services

Sustainability Services
Sustainability E-Newsletter
Address: 
410 E. Washington Street
Iowa City, IA
Phone Number: 
319-887-6162
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