City of Tempe, AZ
Home MenuUnderstanding the Problem
Climate change is a global problem that causes changes in our regular weather patterns, such as increasing global temperatures. It is caused by the burning of fossil fuels used for energy and transportation to power cars and make electricity. Fossil fuels are oil, coal, and natural gas. They come from plants and animals that were buried underground millions of years ago. Over time, these remains turned into oil, coal, and natural gas.
Burning fossil fuels pollutes the air and is harmful to the environment and public health; it also produces Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions. These gases trap heat, making the Earth warmer.
The Sustainability and Resilience Division works on strategies to reduce carbon emissions that cause climate change and strategies to deal with the results of climate change. Learn what the City is doing to help lower GHG emissions and explore programs and resources available to residents and businesses.
To learn more about climate change, check out these resources:
- United Nations: What is Climate Change?
- NASA: What is Climate Change?
- NASA Climate Kids: What is Climate Change?
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): Climate Change Impacts
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories
A GHG Inventory measures the amount of gases released into the atmosphere in geographic boundary. The City began calculating GHG emissions in 2015 and updates the numbers every five years for its municipal operations and the community.
The Transportation and Sustainability Department is actively working to reduce Tempe’s GHG emissions by transitioning to and adopting renewable energy sources like solar, improving energy efficiency in buildings, strengthening sustainability requirements in building codes, and expanding electric vehicle infrastructure and adoption. The City of Tempe has set ambitious goals, aiming for 100% renewable energy for municipal operations by 2035 and achieving carbon neutrality in both community and municipal operations by 2050.
Where does our energy come from?
Energy sources are categorized into two types: clean and fossil fuels. Clean energy sources include solar, geothermal, biomass, wind, hydropower, and nuclear, while traditional fossil fuel sources consist of natural gas, oil and coal. In 2023, Arizona’s electricity was generated mainly from 6 sources: natural gas (46%), nuclear power (27%), coal (10%), solar energy (10%), hydroelectric power (5%), and wind (1%) (eia.gov)
Utilities are also playing a key role in decreasing GHG emissions by increasing the proportion of clean energy in their portfolios. For more information on how utilities are advancing the clean energy transition, visit Arizona Public Service (APS) and Salt River Project SRP’s Energy Mix.