A Collective Effort

As climate change continues to impact every corner of the globe, the Port of Olympia, along with local agencies in Thurston County, are making great strides to address climate concerns and take action in our own community.

In December of 2020, the Thurston Climate Mitigation Collaborative (TCMC) released the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan for Thurston County and the Cities of Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater. The Collaborative partners with community members, youth climate activists and grassroots advocacy organizations and aims to reduce countywide greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050.

Port Commission adopted a resolution the following year, Port of Olympia Resolution 2021-10, in support of the Thurston Climate Mitigation goals and strategies. Motivated by the involvement of regional partners and agencies and rising concerns about local impacts of climate change, the Port has pushed to find ways to prepare for and mitigate the destructive impacts of climate change in its day-to-day operations and long-term development and planning.

“Although the Port is making efforts to reduce emissions and build resiliency for its properties and operations, we realize that our most meaningful contribution to mitigating Climate Change is our regional partnerships which strive to reduce emissions and build resilience against the impacts of Climate Change,” said Port of Olympia Environmental Manager Jonathon Wolf.

Port Initiatives and Programs

The Port’s climate strategy focuses on two priorities: reducing emissions, since human activity is a significant source of climate pollution, and strengthening resilience through both mitigation and adaptation.

Reducing Our Emissions and Carbon Footprint

We are always looking for ways to reduce our emissions and carbon footprint. Keeping a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory helps the Port track its emissions and measure how well our reduction efforts are working. From our GHG inventory, we learned that the majority of Port emissions come from purchased electricity and vehicle usage. This information has helped us focus on renewable energy, such as transitioning to low and zero emission vehicles and installing solar panels. The Port has installed solar panels in the Marine Terminal warehouse and also purchased electric vehicles to reduce emissions. To better identify and prioritize emissions reductions options, the Port just completed a solar feasibility study and fleet decarbonization analysis that will help guide future climate mitigation actions.

Mitigation and Adaption

By identifying areas already impacted by climate change, the Port is able to incorporate stronger, more resilient infrastructure when planning future development. One area deeply impacted by greenhouse gas emissions and global warming is rising sea levels. Parts of the peninsula are at risk from rising seas and storm surges, and the Port is taking that seriously. That’s why we’re working with the City of Olympia and LOTT Clean Water Alliance as members of the Sea Level Rise Collaborative.

Together, we’ve created a Sea Level Rise Response Plan to guide both short- and long-term actions. For the Port, that means building to flood-resistant standards on the peninsula, adding backflow preventers to outfall pipes, and using LiDAR and GIS technology to track erosion along East Bay. This way, we can spot problem areas early and put resources where they’re needed most.

A Resilient and Sustainable Future 

Through collaboration, innovation, and long-term planning, the Port is taking meaningful steps today to build a more resilient and sustainable future for our community.

Learn more about the work the Port is doing to mitigate climate impacts on our Sustainability page.