OUR WORK


Buildings

The Office of Sustainability champions efforts to reduce energy waste across City buildings, parks, and roadways; advance clean energy investment opportunities; and promote policies and programs that improve building efficiency for our residents and businesses. We work closely with KUB and TVA to fine-tune energy efficiency programs that will benefit our residents. 


Clean Energy

Because much of our energy comes from fossil fuels, wasting energy also creates unnecessary negative impact on the environment. Renewable energy offers an innovative and sustainable solution, allowing us to generate clean power from solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal resources. To meet our sustainability goals, avoid unnecessary energy expenditures, and promote clean energy throughout the community, the City champions energy efficiency and renewable energy.


Climate Change

Climate change is real and intensifying many challenges we already face in Knoxville, like extreme heat, extreme storms, flash flooding, air pollution, and pests. It threatens our property, our wallets, our health, and the places we love, like the Great Smoky Mountains. Across the world, millions of lives are at risk. Experts agree: bold leadership is necessary to protect our children and grandchildren from the worst effects of climate change and prepare communities to deal with increasing impacts. To learn more about the science of climate change, visit NASA's Climate Change web portal (opens in new window). Reducing Knoxville’s emissions footprint is crucial to combating climate change, improving our ability to bounce back from disasters, protecting our health, and being smart with taxpayer dollars. Clean energy jobs are growing quickly, and supporting the green economy here in Knoxville catalyzes private investment, with corresponding growth in business and jobs.


Staff and Work Plan

Developed by the Mayor's Climate Council, the 2021 Energy & Sustainability Work Plan establishes multi-year priorities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions while addressing community-identified needs. Priorities reflect public input, lived experience, and subject matter expertise to guide City departments toward shared climate goals.


Transportation

Residents and visitors in Knoxville drove an estimated 4.52 billion miles in 2019. These vehicle miles - primarily fueled by fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel - accounted for about 59% of the community’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. Like most communities across the nation, Knoxville has experienced increased vehicle traffic over the last decade due to population growth and a strong economy. Unfortunately, average vehicle fuel economy has not significantly increased since 2012. As a result, transportation has grown into a larger share of community-wide emissions since 2005.