Climate Action Plan The City of Columbus is drafting a Climate Action Plan to serve as a roadmap to meet our community-wide 2050 carbon neutrality goal. Learn more.

Clean Energy Columbus Clean Energy Columbus, a community choice aggregation program, is an easy and effective way for local officials to contract for competitively priced electricity based on group buying power for its residents. The City of Columbus is committed to pursuing community choice aggregation with a goal to implement a program that provides 100% clean, renewable energy by 2022. Learn more.

Sustainable Steps Sustainable Steps 2021 campaigns are on promoting trees and a Columbus solar-co-op! Both help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the quality of life in Columbus neighborhoods.

Community Engagement

• GreenSpot
• GreenSpot Community Backyards
• Pick Up Poop (PUP)
• Get Grassy
• Keep Columbus Beautiful
• Experience the outdoors (trails, parks, centers, etc.)
• Earth Day Celebration
• Green Events Guide

Progress reports Each year since 2005 the City has released a report summarizing environmental efforts taking place in the City of Columbus. Learn more.

Guiding Documents

• Executive Orders and Legislation (anti-idling, paper usage, Fleet Management, tree protection and mitigation, environmental preferred purchasing, environmental policy)
• Sustainable2050
• Sustainable Purchasing
• Habitat for Pollinator Species
• Compact of Mayors
• Columbus Sustainability Plans
• Big Darby Accord 

Awards and Recognitions

• 'A' rating from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
• Smart Columbus
  
• National Wildlife Federation Mayor’s Monarch Pledge
• Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative
• WaterSense Partner
• Wyland National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation(2019)-most water wise city.
• ISO 14001 self-declaration

Climate and Energy

• American Cities Climate Challenge
• Columbus Greenhouse Gas Inventories 
• Columbus Climate Change Action Plan
• 2018 Air Quality Report (MORPC)
• Sustaining Scioto
• Residential and Business EcoSmart Choice 
• Renewable energy (Biogas, Hydro, Solar, Wind)
• Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE)

Conserve and Protect Water

• Columbus Blueprint
• Watershed Management Program
• Stormwater Drainage Manual (including Green Infrastructure Credit)
• Septic tank elimination program

EcoSystems

• Master park plan 
• Blueways
• Forestry
• Urban Forestry Master Plan
• Nature Preserves
• Pollinator Pathways Map

Green Buildings and Redevelopment

• Brownfield remediation
• Energy Star
• Energy and water benchmarking
• Home energy efficiency services
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
• Land Bank
• McKnight Outdoor Education Center

Local Foods

• Civic Agriculture (coming soon)
• Franklin County Food Council Plan
• Local Food Action Plan
• Green Business Ag Plan
• Shop at farmers market

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

• Residential recycling-RecyColumbus
• Waste Wizard (what do I do with…)
• Restaurant & Bar Recycling (Glass Act)
• Com-Til
• Construction recycling
• Office recycling
• Report littering and illegal dumping
• Reuse (OEPA Materials Market Place, Goodwill Columbus, Furniture Bank of Central Ohio)
• SWACO drop-box and household hazardous waste 
• Yard waste disposal

Transportation

• 2021 Mid-Year Green Fleet Action Plan Update
• Biking-education/resources
• Biking-trail
• Biking-street/infrastructure
• LinkUS Mobility Initiative
• Transportation options (COTA, CoGo, Downtown C-pass, Gohio, and more)
• Cleaner fuels (station locater)