Happy New Year Everyone!

As we gear up for another busy year here at OSE, I want to first take a moment to share my gratitude for your ongoing support and participation. The work we all do is important, perhaps never more important than today, and all of us at OSE are so thankful we get to work together with you.
 
Worldwide, we are at a pivotal point in our work on climate change where momentum continues to build and more local governments are stepping up to the challenge. I feel confident that we will see environmental and climate progress in the near future, even in light of national leadership.
 
I would to like to invite you to learn a little more about what we're up to in the New Year. Some highlights are below, but would love to connect with you over the phone or in person. Let's explore ways how we can continue to partner to create the best Seattle possible for our residents and everyone who works, learns, and plays here.
 
OSE's year ahead looks a little like this:
 
Meeting the Climate Challenge
This year, we'll be taking our Energy Benchmarking work up a notch with more data and technology tools to provide more information that helps buildings increase efficiency. Early this year, we'll be finalizing the Building Tune-Ups Director's Rule and will be working with a number of buildings to conduct Tune-Ups through the DOE Tune-Up Accelerator program.
 
We are also focusing on resilience this year--identifying actions needed to advance our climate preparedness work. We're thrilled to be working with 100 Resilient Cities, pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, to work across City government and the community to develop a strategy to make Seattle more resilient to daily stresses and the risks of human-made and natural disasters.
 
Through Drive Clean Seattle, we will continue our transition away from oil by implementing a bold municipal fleet electrification strategy and installing new DC fast charging stations through Seattle. We'll also be working with King County and other stakeholders to advance transportation electrification strategies across the entire transportation sector.
 
Championing Environmental Equity
Continuing to grow our Equity & Environment Initiative this year means establishing a new Environmental Justice Committee, working with City departments to integrate the Equity & Environment Agenda into their work, deepen relationships with philanthropy to align on issues of environmental equity and continue storytelling work to shift the narrative of what it means to be an environmentalist and to integrate environmental justice into sustainability.
 
Last year we launched the Duwamish Valley program, which includes work to align and coordinate the City's investments in the Duwamish Valley and respond to community-identified priorities. Later this year we'll release a Duwamish Valley Action Plan, a City-community shared vision to support collective action, improve quality of life, and advance key community priorities.

               
Growing Sustainable Communities
Growing our food access work means expanding the Fresh Bucks Rx program to include additional health clinic locations and launching the Fresh Bucks retail program to increase the locations where low-income residents can access healthy, affordable fruits and vegetables. We will also be launching a pilot to provide fruits and vegetables delivered weekly to Seattle Preschool Program sites, so families can pick up healthy food when they pick up their kids.
 
And finally, we will continue to ensure our city lives up to our "Emerald City" moniker by continuing to pursue solutions that help increase Seattle's sustainability even while we continue to grow. In partnership with other departments we continue to foster tree planting and protection, accelerate nature-based solutions to reduce stormwater pollution, and engage hundreds of residents in our work.  
Whew! That was a bit to get through. Thanks for sticking with it. Looking forward to connecting with you this year. 

Jessica Finn Coven, Director
Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment