Bothell's first Draft Climate Action Plan headed to Planning Commission study session on July 2

What the records say

Bothell is developing its first Climate Action Plan (CAP), intended to guide the city's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and prepare for climate change, according to a staff memo in the July 2, 2025 Planning Commission packet. The memo states the city received a $500,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce in April 2024 to support the plan's development, and that adoption is anticipated by the end of 2025. The packet includes the full draft plan dated July 2025, which reports that Bothell's communitywide emissions totaled 570,092 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) in 2023, with transportation the largest source at 58% and the built environment at 36%. The memorandum recommends that the Planning Commission support aligning Bothell's GHG reduction targets with the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) Joint Commitments (50% reduction by 2030, 75% by 2040, 95% by 2050 from a 2007 baseline), and staff note Bothell would use 2019 as its baseline year as the first year with detailed communitywide data. The draft plan outlines strategies and actions across four focus areas: municipal operations, buildings and energy, transportation and land use, and zero waste. Notable proposals include electrifying the majority of the city's 139 fleet vehicles over the next 18 years, exploring stronger local energy standards and electrification requirements for new construction, and expanding access to transit, EV charging, and micromobility options. The available record is a pre-meeting agenda packet; it does not establish what occurred at the meeting or any subsequent action on the draft.

• The July 2, 2025 Planning Commission agenda listed a study session on the Climate Action Plan, with community development staff presenting the current draft and seeking feedback and direction. ¹
• Bothell's communitywide GHG emissions totaled 570,092 MTCO2e in 2023; transportation was the largest source at 58% and the built environment represented 36%. Municipal operations accounted for 2,176 MTCO2e, or 0.4% of the citywide total. ¹
• Staff recommended the Planning Commission support aligning Bothell's GHG reduction targets with the K4C Joint Commitments — 50% reduction by 2030, 75% by 2040, and 95% (net-zero) by 2050 from a 2007 baseline — with Bothell using 2019 as its baseline year. ¹
• The draft plan was developed with a 23-member volunteer Advisory Committee, two in-person workshops, and two citywide surveys; additional focus groups and outreach were scheduled over summer 2025. ¹
• The packet also includes a preliminary summary of the second survey with 85 responses as of late June 2025; among the most strongly supported actions were improving green building incentives, keeping more trees during development, requiring EV charging in new buildings, and improving sidewalk and bike safety. The full survey closes July 13, 2025. ¹

Why it matters

A climate action plan is a citywide policy document that sets Bothell's strategy for cutting emissions and responding to climate impacts, and this is the city's first one. If adopted, the plan's targets and strategies would shape future city investment and regulation — from municipal fleet electrification and building energy codes to EV charging infrastructure and waste programs — directly affecting resident costs and daily mobility. City staff indicated a final version would be released in fall 2025 for consideration and adoption by City Council, giving residents a defined window to weigh in on how aggressive Bothell's local targets and actions should be.

What changed / what's next

• Bothell's Planning Commission agenda for July 2, 2025 added a study session on the city's first draft Climate Action Plan, accompanied by the full draft plan, a staff memo, and draft inventory reports. ¹
• The meeting outcome is not documented in the packet, which is a pre-meeting record — it does not establish what happened at the study session. The memo also notes the draft plan will be revised over summer 2025 and a final version released in the fall for Planning Commission and City Council review prior to adoption. ¹
• The second community survey was still open as of the packet's late June date, closing July 13, 2025. ¹
• The city's K4C-based emissions projection tool is being updated with newer federal, state, and regional policy assumptions, which staff state will likely lower the projected emissions gap; Bothell plans to revise its projections once those updates are complete. ¹
• The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.