Austin, labor leaders announce new jobs and climate plan with aim to 'decarbonize' city buildings

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- City and labor leaders are coming together Thursday morning to announce a new report that could "create hundreds of local jobs" and save the city "2.8 million dollars annually."

Sandra Bustillos with the Texas Climate Jobs Project, a coalition of Texas labor unions "united to fight climate change and reverse income inequality", will announce a new report at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 520’s apprenticeship center.

The report, Powering Public Progress: Decarbonizing Austin’s Municipal Buildings for a Resilient Future, lays out how the city can reduce carbon pollution and create new jobs. A tour of the IBEW facility is scheduled to follow the press conference.

Other speakers at the event include City Council members Vanessa Fuentes, Ryan Alter and Mike Siegel.

The city has multiple plans in place to address climate change. One of which, the Austin Climate Equity Plan, was approved by the city in 2021.

That plan pushed for 74 ways to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 while also prioritizing communities that may be disproportionately impacted by climate change, including low-income and communities of color.

In March, a report by the city auditor's office found that many of these plans lack measurable goals.

“We could do a little bit better with building some measurable goals, allocating funding to support those goals, and coordination across departments throughout the city,” said Deputy City Auditor Jason Hadavi in March.