Sustainability and Climate Action Plan
History of the Plan
In March 2014, the City completed a review and update of its Sustainability Action Plan for City Operations (Plan). Focused on improving the sustainability of municipal operations, the Plan provides a framework and set of strategies and prioritized actions that support the continued provision of quality services to Lake Oswego citizens in a fiscally prudent, socially responsible, and environmentally sound way, ensuring that current needs are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The Plan was prepared with the input of a steering committee made up of staff from across the City organization, a member of the City’s Sustainability Advisory Board, and a representative from Republic Services. The Plan’s seven action areas, identified as the highest impact areas of City operations with the most opportunity for improvement, include:
- Fiscal Responsibility and Organizational Stability
- Quality Services
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions (energy, fuel, and other contributing sources)
- Water Conservation
- Waste Prevention
- Toxics Reduction
- Habitat Enhancement and Stormwater Management
The core of the Plan is an updated set of strategies and actions prioritized for implementation in the next five years. Informed by the results of past efforts, summarized in past sustainability progress reports, the strategies and actions outline the work needed to move toward the Plan’s goals.
Many of the actions in this plan have been completed and much of the plan is no longer relevant, as of 2018.
Climate Action Planning
In 2017, a small group of citizens asked the City Council to add climate planning as one of their goals for the year. Following a 4-3 vote at the City Council goal setting session, a goal was written to:
"support the creation of a Climate Action Plan based on advice from the Sustainability Advisory Board, consistent with Council policy direction"
While many cities use professional consultants to assist with writing their climate plans, Lake Oswego chose to use a citizens advisory committee model. This committee was comprised of Sustainability Advisory Board members and members of the community associated with the Lake Oswego Sustainability Network (not affiliated with the City).
Over the course of a year, this citizens group worked to create a series of climate actions. These actions were reviewed by some City staff, revised, and then released for public comment at an Open House in March 2018.
Following the incorporation of these comments, a draft was presented to the City Council.
At the April 3, 2018 The City Council approved the actions to be incorporated into a revised Sustainability and Climate Action Plan .
The final approved Sustainability and Climate Action Plan was adopted by the City Council under Resolution 19-54 at the May 5, 2020 City Council meeting. Read the entire plan online.
2023 Progress Report
In May 2023, staff completed a Sustainability and Climate Action Plan progress report reviewing the first three years of implementation. Of the 63 action items in the plan, 10 have been accomplished or are completed or ongoing, 33 are in progress, and 20 actions have not yet been started. The report highlighted key advancements the City and community partners have made towards Lake Oswego's sustainability and climate action goals, as well as areas where there are challenges, and recommendations for next steps. Read the progress report online here.
