In November of 2016, City Council adopted Louisville's first Sustainability Action Plan. The Sustainability Action Plan was updated in 2020 and Sustainability staff have been working with City departments, regional partners and the sustainability advisory board to implement the strategies outlined in the Plan.

The Sustainability Action Plan outlines strategies across seven categories – climate, energy, transportation, waste, water, ecological health, and local food and agriculture. In each of the seven categories, the Plan sets internal goals aimed at municipal operations and external goals, focused on the community. Each category’s internal and external goals also include near term and mid-term goals. The near-term goals are meant to have a completion date of one to two years, while the mid-term goals are meant to have a completion date of three to four years. The Sustainability Action Plan will be updated again in 2025.

There are 125 total strategies outlined in the Sustainability Action Plan. The graph below shows the percentage of the plan that has been completed, is currently in progress and has not been started. Currently, 63% of the plan is either in progress or completed.

In August of 2019, City Council unanimously agreed to renewable energy and carbon emission reduction goals. In April 2024, City Council strengthened these goals by setting science based targets for the years 2030 and 2050.

This significant step for the City aligns with the targets set forth in both the Internal and Community Decarbonization Plans.

At the April meeting, the City Council adopted a resolution setting out the following goals:

Municipal Goals

• Meet all of Louisville’s municipal electric needs with 100% carbon-free sources by 2025.
• Reduce energy-related municipal greenhouse gas emissions 60% below the 2016 baseline by 2030 and achieve carbon-neutrality by 2050.

Community Proposed Goals

• Generate 75% of Louisville’s residential and commercial/industrial electric needs from carbon-free sources by 2030.
• Reduce energy-related residential and commercial/industrial greenhouse emissions 60% below the 2016 baseline by 2030 and achieve carbon-neutrality by 2050.