While Tosa government decreased emissions in 2023, community emissions remain a challenge
Wauwatosa is following the suit of Wisconsin and communities across the U.S. to set goals for achieving municipal and community carbon neutrality by 2050.
Carbon neutrality means reducing or offsetting emissions alongside any actions that lead to emissions.
To get there, the city, Tosa residents and local businesses will need to decrease the use of emission-producing sources ― especially fossil fuels like natural gas and liquid fuels that are top contributors to climate change ― and take on more energy efficient changes.
A new report from Wauwatosa’s Sustainability Committee details that while city operations are on track to decrease emissions, community and business that make up the majority of Wauwatosa's overall greenhouse gas emissions can do more. Here’s what to know.
What does Wauwatosa’s Sustainability Committee do?
The Sustainability Committee is currently made up of 10 volunteer residents, a city liaison and one council member liaison. The group advises the Common Council and city staff on sustainability issues and works to identify and recommend policies or actions to get Wauwatosa closer to the goals to decarbonize outlined in the city’s Energy Resolution of October 2020.
The committee also works on initiatives to help community and local businesses lower their emissions. The committee is a part of the Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition, a group of representatives in local municipalities identifying decarbonization strategies.
In some municipalities, a staff member works full time to connect the city, businesses and residents with resources and guidance to become more sustainable. The Sustainability Committee's goals for 2024 includes supporting the creation and hiring of a sustainability manager who would be shared between Wauwatosa and other municipalities.
What does the Sustainability Committee Report include?
The Wauwatosa Sustainability Committee’s annual report compares energy and greenhouse gas emissions used in city operations, as well as in the residential and commercial sectors, over 2023 and previous years. The full report can be read on the city's public meeting portal website.
Wauwatosa’s city-owned emissions make up a sliver of the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions, the report shows. Residential emissions make up a third of emissions and commercial emissions at businesses and companies make up the other nearly two thirds.
Measurements of emissions focus on the three major areas of energy use in the city: electricity, natural gas and liquid fuels. The data in the report doesn’t include transportation emissions.
It can be a challenge to compare energy use because of fluctuating factors like more hot or cold days in a year, the report states. Overall spending will also change depending on the price of fuel, according to the report.
Wauwatosa’s city-owned facilities decreased emissions, solar and LED changes save nearly $189,000
Facilities owned by the city of Wauwatosa decreased their energy and greenhouse gas emissions in 2023, according to the annual report. That’s largely thanks to many energy-efficient projects throughout the city, especially at the Department of Public Works building.
Energy efficiency means to use less energy to perform the same task and produce the same result. Energy efficient buildings and appliances reduce greenhouse gas emissions while lowering costs on energy bills.
Projects like the city’s switch to LED streetlights and the installation of solar panels at the Department of Public Works building have started to pay off, the report shows. The city saved nearly $189,000 in energy costs in 2023 and decreased the city operations’ overall greenhouse gas emissions by 9.4% in 2023 compared to 2022.
“Continuing reduction of energy use and increasing onsite electricity generation helps ease the financial impact of volatile energy prices,” the report stated.
Energy from local renewables still needed in Wauwatosa
Wauwatosa is not on track, however, to reach its goal of at least 25% of energy for municipal operations coming from local renewable resources, the report states. In 2023, less than 7% of Wauwatosa's energy came from local renewable resources, largely thanks to the solar paneling at City Hall and the Department of Public Works.
We Energies has plans to decarbonize its electricity generation by 2050, the report stated.
"However, to fully decarbonize, We Energies needs to deploy renewable sources such as wind and solar much faster," the committee report states. "As they do so, the (greenhouse gas) impact from Wauwatosa’s electricity use will decrease."
Reducing community and business emissions would make the biggest difference, but remains 'the challenge'
Wauwatosa's municipal operations are largely making progress to decarbonize. But to really move the needle on Wauwatosa's goal of carbon neutrality, the residential and commercial sectors that account for the bulk of Wauwatosa's energy emissions need to make meaningful change, the report shows.
“The challenge is the community goal,” Mike Arney, the chair of the Sustainability Committee told the Government Affairs Committee April 30 in the presentation of the report.
Members of the committee have found ways to connect with people in the community to reduce emissions.
They've shared resources at the Tosa Community Fair and Tosa Farmers Market and partnered with local organizations. The city is also recognized as a Bird City Wisconsin, meaning it's a municipality that protects birds and preserves their habitats.
Wauwatosa residents are doing their part to make their households more sustainable, too.
Some are organizing to get hundreds of neighbors and local groups commit to planting native species in their yards to earn Wauwatosa the title of a "Community Wildlife Habitat," a municipality-wide certification of being a welcoming habitat for birds, insects and other wildlife year-round. The number of Wauwatosa residents who applied to install solar panels on their homes nearly doubled in 2022.
Federally funded sustainability manager shared with Milwaukee and municipalities would help
While individual actions add up, money from the federal government would help fund a staff role that would bring more consistent outreach and education that's needed to help Wauwatosa residents and businesses reach carbon neutrality.
The City of Milwaukee applied for a $10 million regional Climate Pollution Reduction Grant in partnership with West Allis, Shorewood, Ozaukee, Waukesha and Wauwatosa, according to Arney. Milwaukee passed its own Climate and Equity Plan last year, which seeks net-zero emissions by 2050, like Wauwatosa.
The grant would help fund two shared sustainability manager positions between the partnering municipalities, a position that city leaders and the sustainability committee have long hoped to bring to Wauwatosa, Arney said in the Government Affairs Committee meeting.
“If we get this grant, there will be two sustainability managers housed in our facilities here," with time specifically devoted to Wauwatosa, Arney said.
A $77,000 Energy Efficiency Community Block grant is also available for the city to put towards sustainability efforts, he said. That may involve electric vehicle charging stations, solar power or HVAC, and remains to be decided by the Department of Public Works in the next few months, Arney said.
Here are resources for reducing your carbon footprint
The City of Wauwatosa's website provides information on solar energy, its benefits and resources for installation.
Rewiring America's Savings calculator shows what money incentives homeowners and renters might be eligible for in exchange for electrifying their homes.
Make your yard a "Certified Wildlife Habitat" through the National Wildlife Foundation.
What climate goals has Wauwatosa set for the future?
Wauwatosa’s Common Council adopted a resolution of its own goals in 2020 including:
Reducing municipal emissions to 50% of 2010 levels by 2030.
Sourcing at least 25% of all energy from local renewable sources by 2025.
Achieving municipal and community carbon neutrality by 2050.
The city also pledged to track progress by collecting and publishing basic data annually on the city's and community's energy use.
Bridget Fogarty reports on Brookfield, Elm Grove and Wauwatosa. She can be reached at bfogarty@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's what to know about Wauwatosa's latest sustainability report
