The City of San Antonio was awarded a $1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this month to prioritize climate planning. The grant is part of the EPA’s $4.6 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program created by the Biden-Harris administration and will allow San Antonio to put money towards reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.
The grant will be used to fund three climate-centered initiatives. First, the Office of Sustainability will update the City of San Antonio Climate Action and Adaptation Plan with new science-based and prioritized gas emission reduction targets. Second, the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) will lead the effort to broaden the geographical scope of climate planning and action to include its 13-county service area. Third, the City of San Antonio will prioritize emissions reduction strategies that can be implemented on a regional scale and are competitive for future implementation of EPA grant funding.
Executive Director of AACOG Diane Rath is excited about the new funding. “This project allows us to further develop strategies for implementing San Antonio’s climate action plan,” Rath said. “[We can also] begin working with the 12 surrounding counties on plans to reduce their greenhouse gases and address their climate challenges.”
Chief Sustainability Officer Douglas Melnick shared that the Office of Sustainability is “pleased to work with and support AACOG on regional climate planning.”
Even Mayor Ron Nirenberg voiced his appreciation for the EPA grant by sharing that “[San Antonio] applauds the EPA for providing resources to strengthen local partnerships to address this global issue.”
San Antonio’s goal is to decrease its greenhouse gas emissions by 10 million metric tons, or 38%, by 2030. To reach this goal, the city will need to reduce its emissions by 5% each year. These emissions decreased by 3.46% from 2019-2021.
While the downward trend from 2019-2021 is a step in the right direction, the City of San Antonio hopes for the EPA’s grant to push them forward in hopes of reaching or even surpassing their 2030 goal.
To learn more about San Antonio’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, visit https://www.sasustainability.com/category/climate-change-in-san-antonio.
