Texas cities move ahead on climate action, even as feds backtrack

Even as the Trump administration walks away from the Paris Climate Agreement, local governments in Texas are moving ahead with plans to cut emissions and tackle climate change. Last year, metro areas across Texas produced Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs), Phase 1 of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program. Unlike the municipal climate plans produced by Texas’ biggest cities, these plans were the results of the first-ever collaborative climate change efforts between city and county governments throughout each region. The state of Texas itself, via the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), also produced a plan (which included the state’s first ever greenhouse gas inventory).  

As a part of Phase 2 of the program, the EPA distributed $4.6 billion for CPRG implementation grants to selected states, local governments, tribes, and territories. In January 2025, Trump ordered a freeze on the EPA’s climate and clean energy programs. Currently, many of the funds are still on hold, despite two federal court orders for the reinstating of funds. Before the funding was put on hold, the City of Austin received a $47.85 million CPRG implementation grant to help commuters adjust to major construction projects, including the I-35 expansion and the construction of an Austin light rail network.  The funds will improve regional transit service by increasing the frequency of Capital Metro buses, expanding access to CapMetro Bikeshare, and creating new carpool incentives. As for the other measures in the Austin metro-area plan, Rohan Lilauwala, the Climate Project Manager from the City of Austin, stated that they are “always looking for resources that can advance the priorities identified in the plan”, and they “look to make incremental progress at the City where possible.”

Although CPRG implementation grants were not secured for the remaining regions, these local governments still strive to promote sustainability and implement greenhouse-gas-reducing measures. Pharr Andrews, the Air Quality Principal Planner at the Houston-Galveston Area Council, stated that “many of the strategies outlined in the PCAP align with existing regional initiatives and priorities and may move forward with alternative funding sources or through collaboration with local partners.” The San Antonio-New Braunfels area is submitting a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan to the EPA in Fall 2025. They are also working on the Alamo Area Climate Plan and the SA Climate Ready Plan, which will both be completed in 2025. 

TCEQ was not chosen for an implementation grant either, but they are developing a comprehensive version of their PCAP: the Comprehensive Roadmap to Reduce Emissions, which will be published in December 2025. The priority measures in TCEQ’s PCAP may be implemented on a voluntary basis, and they will continue CPRG planning.

Each regional and state plan prioritizes measures to reduce pollution in the energy and transportation sectors, the largest sources of emissions. Most plans call for integrating and installing renewable energy, as well as increases in energy efficiency through building weatherization. Energy storage is another common priority measure: the TCEQ’s plan seeks to facilitate access to clean energy with upgraded transmission and storage, and Austin is working to expand use of community solar and battery storage. Common initiatives in the transportation sector focus on shifting to electric vehicles and increasing the use of alternative fuel. Additionally, encouraging low-emission modes of transportation, such as walking, biking, and transit, is a priority for large Texas cities. They hope to accomplish this by improving public transit amenities and services: a bike share program in McAllen, improving the SAFE walking program in Austin, and improving pedestrian and biking infrastructure state-wide.

Working hand-in-hand with air quality improvements, many regional governments are implementing beautification measures by increasing green spaces. TCEQ highlighted landscape restoration and increasing urban tree canopies as a state-wide priority. Many of the individual regions’ plans focus on similar urban agriculture priorities: increasing urban tree canopy, preserving existing green spaces, and developing parks and plazas. The City of El Paso noted a priority to increase native trees and natural spaces, which will help prepare for climate change impacts and increase access to natural space.

Even with the challenges of federal government funding, Texas cities are moving toward inspiring climate goals. The PCAPs highlight cities’ desire to improve existing infrastructure and promote sustainable development for a cleaner future. Setbacks on further CPRG funding makes it difficult to implement all of the proposed measures, but local governments are still interested in future projects that align with their PCAP’s goals. As Texas continues to grow, the initiatives of major Texas cities will be key to ensuring a sustainable future.