We're excited to introduce our newest team members to the Office of Climate Action and Resilience: Mali Calvo and Tasnuva Udita! Mali and Tasnuva will support the Office in creating a regional climate action plan. Mali will work with partners across Central Texas to coordinate the creation of the plan, while Tasnuva will focus on compiling and analyzing data in support of its creation. Both positions are funded through the…

We’re helping to make Austin Net-Zero by riding the bus or walking instead of driving whenever possible.

Having recently moved to Austin, both Himadri Patel and Niki Mungcharoen were looking for ways to connect with and explore their new community. After meeting at the Asian American Resource Center (AARC), they bonded over being new Austinites and regular…

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero through inclusive storytelling, sustainable fashion, and community organizing.

Meet Reza Cristián, founder of SUSTAIN THE MAG, co-founder of the Slow Fashion Festival, and our newest Net-Zero Hero. Through her everyday actions and community organizing, Reza is helping others understand that li…

We’re excited to share another Employee Sustainability Spotlight, where we highlight the ways in which employees across the City of Austin organization are centering sustainability in their own lives. Today, we bring you Darrell Hutchinson, a Conservation Biologist with Austin Water’s Wildland Conservation Division.

Darrell relocated to Austin with his wife, Monica, in 2010. Shortly after their move, Darrell and Monica were faced with the challen…

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by building and advocating for affordable housing projects.

Meet our newest Net-Zero Hero: Jason John Paul Haskins, an architect with hatch + Ulland Owen Architects (h+uo), a firm focused on sustainable and socially responsible design. Jason led the way on the Roosevelt Gardens project, a tr…

When a package arrives at your door, have you ever thought about all it takes to get there? A product is made, likely in a factory. It might be packaged and shipped to a warehouse, where it is then picked up, packaged again, and shipped to you by boats, planes, and trucks. So many steps in this process create waste, and all of them negatively impact our planet. 

The first full week of September is celebrated as Zero Waste Week around the world. At the Office of Sustainability, we know that a sustainable city is one where we all consider how to reduce consumption, reuse…

You certainly can’t tell by the weather, but Fall is approaching, and it’s back-to-school time! As a new school year begins, families stock up on supplies and gear up for the routine of packed lunches, homework, and hustling out the door each morning. But the back-to-school season also brings a spike in waste from all the shopping and school supplies. This year, keep sustainability in mind with these tips for an eco-friendly start to school.

Litter-less Lunchti…

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by weaving plastic grocery bags into sleeping mats for unhoused people.

Meet our newest Net-Zero Hero: Kiana Salazar, an artist and AmeriCorps member using her creative skills for good. Through the AmeriCorps program, Kiana served with local nonprofit Creative Action, whose mission is to “use the arts as a medium to inspire creativit…

Climate solutions can enhance the lives of every Austinite, but the effects of climate change are not felt equally across our community. As part of the Austin Climate Equity Plan, the Community Climate Ambassadors Program helps to empower community members to lead on climate action through community projects. 

Join us as we dive into the inspiring stories of our dedicated ambassadors and discover how they are making a positive difference in their communities. 

Meet the 2022-23 Community Climate Ambassadors:

There are thousands of employees who help power the City of Austin — we're proud that so many of them center sustainability in their work and lives. Today, we're introducing you to one such employee: Sara Boone Hartley, Assistant Director for Support Services with the Watershed Protection Department.

One of Sara’s favorite places is her backyard, and she tends it with an eye toward sustainability and the environme…