Announcement from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has officially adopted a new strategic plan.

The strategic plan aims to guide the regional authority’s strategic direction through 2030 and addresses key climate and air quality issues, including differences in air pollution between local communities. The agency’s new vision is “healthy air, climate and environmental justice for the benefit of all people in the Puget Sound region.” The agency’s board officially approved the plan on January 26^th .

The plan recognizes that the decade ahead has the potential to be transformative, with a growing regional population, advances in clean technology and accessibility, and new policy frameworks at the state and federal levels. The plan includes flexibility for the agency to adapt its actions to changing circumstances and opportunities while improving air quality and associated health outcomes for residents of the Puget Sound region.

“Our new strategic plan will serve as the foundation and blueprint for our organization for the next seven years,” said Christine Cooley, executive director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. “I am incredibly proud of the plan’s focus on the equitable advancement of environmental justice in all aspects of the agency. With the growing need to combat climate change and the opportunities available due to new policies at the state and federal levels, we are excited to begin implementing this thoughtful and progressive plan.”

The strategic plan outlines goals and objectives for the agency through 2030, including:

• Air pollution overall decreases by 20% from 2022 to 2030, and the annual economic impact of air pollution health effects decreases by at least $500 million
• Cancer risk from toxic air pollutants reduced by 50% from 2022 to 2030, especially in congested communities
• Socio-economic differences in exposure to air pollution are halved from 2022 to 2030
• Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Puget Sound region fall by 50% compared to 1990 levels

“This dynamic plan encompasses an impressive amount of engagement from the public, overburdened communities, a wide variety of stakeholders and all levels of agency staff,” said Megan Dunn, chair of the agency’s board of directors. “We look forward to ensuring that the impact of this plan can be seen and measured in each of the Puget Sound region’s communities.”

“We are pleased to see that the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s 2030 Strategic Plan establishes bold climate goals and identifies specific actions to transition to clean energy, reduce harmful air pollution and protect frontline communities,” said Deepa Sivarajan, Climate Solutions Washington Clean Buildings Policy. Boss. “We need strong regional leadership to make the transition to clean energy more accessible and build community resilience, and look forward to working with the agency on implementation to ensure the agency is doing everything it can to protect citizens from the harms of climate change and the health effects of a continued dependence on fossil fuels.”

The agency will host a public information gathering from 17.30 to 18.30 on Wednesday 15 March to summarize the community input that was heard throughout 2022 and how this input has been incorporated into the new strategic plan.