Sustainable Bellevue Environmental Stewardship Plan Update
Welcome to the Sustainable Bellevue Plan Update!
Evidence of climate change is all around us in 2024. In Bellevue, we’ve seen worsening heatwaves and smokier skies, hotter streams, and swings between flooding and drought. Planning for climate change with efficient buildings, resilient infrastructure, accessible transportation systems, and healthy tree canopy is more important now than ever.
As we look to 2025, the Environmental Stewardship team is excited to launch the 2026-2030 Sustainable Bellevue ESI Plan Update. Guided by our new greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 95% by 2050 in the Comprehensive Plan, the city will focus on updating the Plan’s strategies and actions to meet our 2030 goals and beyond.
Building a livable future takes everyone. The voices of our community are critical to shaping the sustainable Bellevue we will become in 2030 and future decades.
Please continue to visit Engaging Bellevue throughout 2025 for updates and opportunities to engage on the 2026-2030 Sustainable Bellevue ESI Plan Update. To ensure you don't miss an update, please subscribe to our Newsletter.
What's New:
- Join us: On Wednesday, January 15 from 5:30-7:00pm, the ESI team is hosting a Sustainable Bellevue Townhall and Plan Launch event. There will be many opportunities for community members to hear about our climate and sustainability progress to date, engage on the Plan Update, ask questions, and meet the ESI Team. Register.
- Share Your Stories: Use the tool below to share your experiences with climate change in Bellevue, and offer input on what the city should do to address climate change and sustainability in our 2026-2030 Plan Update.
- Stay Tuned: We will be launching our Phase I Community Survey in mid-November.
About the Plan
On Dec. 14, 2020, the City Council adopted the Sustainable Bellevue Environmental Stewardship Plan. This plan is a strategic roadmap built on our past environmental stewardship successes and the expertise and input of more than 1,000 residents, city staff, community leaders and stakeholders. It lays out goals, strategies and targets that commit the city to act boldly and aggressively to ensure Bellevue is a healthy, livable, sustainable and prosperous “City in a Park” for decades to come.
The plan has five focus areas:
Sustainable Bellevue's high-level goals include reducing communitywide greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and 95% by 2050; reducing citywide drive-alone rates to 45% by 2050; achieving an overall tree canopy cover of 40%; and operating on 100% renewable energy by 2050, with a 30% reduction in overall energy use.
To help the city achieve these goals and targets, the plan lists 78 different actions across the five focus areas. The plan is set to be updated every five years through 2050 to ensure we're acting boldly and staying on track in creating a sustainable future in Bellevue for generations to come.
Read the current Plan Summary and full 2020-2025 Sustainable Bellevue Environmental Stewardship Plan.
Our Progress to Date
The City of Bellevue's Environmental Performance Dashboard shares information about the city's progress towards the sustainability goals outlined in the Sustainable Bellevue Environmental Stewardship Plan. Visit the dashboard to explore our progress-to-date in detail.
Have you experienced climate change impacts in Bellevue? How has climate change affected you or your community?
Please share your story here. Your story and username will be visible to other visitors. Your story will be used to inform our Plan Update.
Climate change impacts can include extreme heat, extreme rainfall and flooding, smoke events, drought, changes to water quality, and changes to ecosystems, wildlife, and nature. To learn more about climate impacts in Bellevue, please visit "Understanding Our Goals" on our Environmental Performance Dashboard.
Who's Listening
-
Phone 425-452-6129 Email jewing@bellevuewa.gov -
Phone 425-452-2829 Email sfall@bellevuewa.gov
Accomodation
For alternate formats, interpreters, or reasonable accommodation requests please phone at least 48 hours in advance 425-452-6930 (voice) or bbrod@bellevuewa.gov
For complaints regarding accommodations, contact City of Bellevue ADA/Title VI Administrator at 425-452-6168 (voice) or email ADATitleVI@bellevuewa.gov(External link)(External link). If you are deaf or hard of hearing dial 711.
Information
The City of Bellevue assures that no person shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and related statutes, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any City of Bellevue program or activity. Any person who believes his/her Title VI protection has been violated may file a complaint with the ADA/Title VI Administrator. For Title VI complaint forms and advice, please contact the ADA/Title VI Administrator at 425-452-6168.