The City of Boise is committed to tackling climate change and integrating sustainability to help make us the most livable city in the country. By steadfastly working to safeguard the resources we now have and protect them for future generations, residents and businesses who call Boise home can be assured we are moving toward a cleaner, stronger and sustainable community. Read more about our current work and future efforts in the following priority areas.
Energy
Target: 100% clean electricity for municipal operations by 2030 and 100% citywide clean electricity by 2035
The City of Boise's current energy makeup consists of:
- 50% Natural Gas
- 48% Electricity
- 2% Geothermal
The greenhouse gases in Boise are produced by:
- 34% commercial and industry
- 33% transportation
- 30% residential
- 2% solid waste
- 1% wastewater
Current Action
Net Zero Building
The state of Idaho’s first-ever net zero energy building serves a unique purpose.
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Waste Reduction
TARGET: Reduce per capita waste sent to the landfill
The current systems and processes within the city have:
- 30,000 tons of compost collected last year
- 40% of total waste was diverted from the landfill since 2015
- 11,000 tons of recycled materials collected last year
- 350 tons of hard-to-recycle plastics collected through the Hefty® EnergyBag™ program
Current Action
Plastics Challenge
Shifting the focus to the reduction of single-use plastics in our community.
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Water
TARGET: Maximize water renewal in alignment with citizen feedback
To date, the city has accomplished the following:
- Removed and beneficially reused 1,200 pounds of phosphorus
- Captured 100% of biosolids through water renewal and used them as crop fertilizer
- Cleaned and renewed 10 billion gallons of water annually
Current Action
Water Renewal Planning
Setting the strategic direction for how we get the most out of every drop.
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Open and Green Space
TARGET: Protect and preserve green and open space in Boise
To date, the city has:
- 12 reserves, totaling 5,000 acres, managed and owned by the City of Boise
- 92 developed city parks
In 2001 and again in 2016, voters showed support for open space preservation, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreational opportunities in the Boise Foothills by passing levies to raise over $20 million for this effort.
Current Action
Open Space & Clean Water Levy
Check out projects recommended for the preservation of open space and clean water improvement.
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Food Systems
TARGET: Increase local food production and security
Last year, the city was able to:
- Harvest 2,260 pounds of produce from Boise Urban Garden School
- Produce 50,000 tons of forage crops from biosolids generated through water renewal
To date, the city current has 6 community gardens and supports an additional 14 around the community.
Current Action
Transportation
TARGET: Prioritize alternative transportation modes and achieve a 10% reduction of drive alone trips by 2029
In the City of Boise, you will find:
- 43 electric vehicle charging stations at 22 different locations citywide
- 35,560 trips completed on green bikes just in the last year, causing a reduction of 82,162 pounds of carbon emissions
- 750 electric scooters and 153,000 miles in trips traveled so far
- 10% of our municipal fleet are electric vehicles (EV)
Current Action
Keep Boise Moving
The city’s strategy for a diversified, innovative and achievable transportation system.
Learn More Community Conversations on Transportation
Engaging Boiseans in a meaningful dialogue about the future of transportation.
Learn More State Street Project
A plan to ease traffic and increase transit choices along the State Street corridor.
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Community in Action
TARGET: Continue to actively engage Boiseans for a better future
To date, the city has created and managed program that have:
- First year of 18 Ambassadors and social media reach of over 102,000
- Reach 58,000 people annually through environmental education
- 72,000 volunteer hours committed to Parks and Recreation last year
Current Action
Environmental Education
A diverse array of opportunities for kids and adults to learn about nature.
Learn More Volunteer Opportunities
Be a part of helping make Boise the most livable city in the country.
Learn MoreWhile the current statistics are snapshots of progress made across the city, all aspects of Boise’s livability are interconnected. We measure the city’s livability through seven targeted goal areas which can be found here.
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