As the Emerald City, Seattle has long been known as a champion for all things “green”. It’s a reputation we take pride in and one we are diligent in upholding. There are 8 (yes 8!) City departments engaged in Seattle’s urban forestry work. Each department brings different sets of expertise,… [ Keep reading ]
This week, OSE released a proposed Building Tune-Up Director’s Rule for public comment. For over a year, OSE has been sharing updates about our progress developing a program for periodic tune-ups on large commercial buildings. To date, the City has adopted an ordinance, formed a technical working group, and hosted… [ Keep reading ]
How can we tell if Seattle is becoming more energy efficient? And why is that important? Seattle is committed to accelerating energy efficiency improvements because the more we reduce our energy use, the more we reduce our impact on the climate. One key way we measure our progress in building… [ Keep reading ]
In honor of Food Day – Oct. 24 – Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine issued a joint proclamation recognizing the role that a healthy, sustainable food system plays in supporting the health of our residents, fostering our local economy, and protecting and enhancing our natural… [ Keep reading ]
While we are committed to continuing to reduce our climate pollution, we already have begun to experience impacts of our changing climate. The Seattle Climate Preparedness Strategy is the City’s overarching plan for how we will prioritize investments and actions in order to ensure our economy, public health, and built infrastructure remain… [ Keep reading ]
Today the Mayors of Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, Canada signed a Memorandum of Cooperation committing to work together in growing their respective cities’ resilience to the challenges of climate change, seismic risks, affordable housing, and aging infrastructure. The cities of Seattle and Vancouver share many similarities—including geography, economy, and a deep… [ Keep reading ]
On September 7, the Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment released the 2014 Seattle Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory. A greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory is an accounting of the climate change pollution generated in the city over a specific period of time. This is Seattle’s fourth GHG report and the… [ Keep reading ]
In Seattle’s ongoing commitment to foster energy efficiency, the City passed a Building Tune-Ups ordinance earlier this year. The Building Tune-Ups ordinance phases in a periodic tune-up requirement for commercial buildings 50,000 square feet or larger, beginning in 2018. What’s Happening Now City staff are working to develop a Director’s Rule… [ Keep reading ]
In June, the Office of Sustainability & Environment launched a new program to align and coordinate place-based efforts and investments in the Duwamish Valley. Seattle’s Duwamish Valley boasts a diversity of cultures and a strong sense of identity but also faces social, racial, health, environmental, and economic challenges at a… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle continues to lead the nation in buildings reporting energy use – this year more than 3,250 reported (99% of buildings required). But benchmarking is only the first step. Learning from the data and taking action are critical to energy savings—and a host of other benefits—like tenant satisfaction and marketability… [ Keep reading ]
