Salt Lake City's sustainability department briefed the council on a proposed Climate Forward SLC plan on Nov. 25, asking for early feedback as staff finalize an existing-conditions report and draft strategies.

"We're excited to be here to talk about what could be the city's first adopted climate plan," Deputy Director Sophia Nicholas said, framing the effort as a way to reaffirm or refine the council's 2016 and 2019 joint resolutions on renewable energy and greenhouse-gas reductions. Staff said the plan will address mitigation, adaptation, metrics and equitable implementation, and that it builds on a federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant the metro area received in 2023.

Sustainability staff presented preliminary findings: the city's community greenhouse-gas emissions fell about 11% from a 2009 baseline to 2024 and per-capita emissions declined about 25% in the same period—the department attributed those reductions largely to cleaner grid electricity. Staff highlighted recent accomplishments including an 80-megawatt solar project that supplies a majority of municipal energy and reduces municipal electricity costs.

Outreach to date included intercept surveys, tabling events and an online survey on the Shape SLC platform; staff reported nearly 1,000 respondents overall but acknowledged demographic gaps and said phase 2 outreach will prioritize in-person, neighborhood-centered engagement on the West Side, translated materials and paid community advisory engagement.

Councilmembers asked how the plan would account for federal funding uncertainty and trade-offs with housing and other city priorities. Staff said the plan aims to clarify what the city can do with available levers (policy, communications, internal actions) while positioning the city to compete for future funding. They also highlighted transportation (mode shift, transit, EVs) and cleaner electricity as major leverage points for emissions reductions.

Next steps: finalize the existing-conditions report this winter, present draft strategies and return to the council before the official public comment period. Staff said the plan could be brought back for adoption next summer.