Thurston Climate Action Team (TCAT)

"Had this Home Energy Score (HES) ordinance been in place when I purchased my home, and had I been more informed about its inefficiency, I may not have made the same buying decision." Lauren Tamboer, long-time Thurston County resident

Thurston Climate Action Team (TCAT) is working hard to keep energy clean and affordable for all Thurston County residents. Our work on promoting the Home Energy Score is just one example. HES helps homebuyers know the true costs of one of the biggest expenses of their lives -- their home. It also encourages homeowners to upgrade for cleaner, more efficient homes.

During this GiveBIG campaign, we are also helping your support go farther, by teaming with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, who will match gifts up to a total of $4,000! This gives your gift even more impact.

Climate change can feel overwhelming. The climate crisis is costing us over $100 billion every year. It causes hotter temperatures and more drought, more wildfire smoke, rising waters and rising energy costs. Climate change affects our health, our food, our homes, and our environment. It's literally threatening the future survival of people throughout the world. 

But here in Thurston County, action is happening every day, and it's powered by people like you. At TCAT we believe it's not too late to stop climate change, and the answer lies in collective action. Together we can transform local communities to prioritize people and the planet, and to take climate action! We worked with local governments to set aggressive targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now we are working to ensure plans are in place to meet those targets and build local solutions, policies, and systems that benefit people, protect our most vulnerable, and heal the planet. 

Thanks to your support:

• TCAT volunteers and community partners advocated to adopt a Home Energy Score ordinance. As a result, Thurston County and the City of Olympia were the first local governments in Washington to adopt HES. This ensures home sale listings include a standardized Home Energy Score, and encourages energy efficient upgrades.
• TCAT continues to work with Tumwater and Lacey to ensure they adopt HES and make this a region-wide policy.
• Our Amplifying Community Voices program brought more diverse voices to the table, so that climate policies and actions were at the forefront of local 20-year comprehensive plans. 
• Local elected officials heard your concerns and advocated for important state climate legislation.
• TCAT educates about the causes of climate change and promotes innovative solutions.

Day after day, month after month, TCAT brings the voice of ordinary people -- families, workers, seniors, and the most vulnerable -- to city hall, insisting on climate action NOW. We hold local officials accountable to the community, to fulfill their climate promises. This work is not as flashy or headline-grabbing, but it's crucial.

This is local work. Local impact. Powered by local people.

Join us by supporting TCAT today. 

Please consider making a monthly gift and joining our Thurston Climate Circle. The Thurston Climate Circle is a community of monthly donors who consistently show up to support local climate solutions that protect our environment, strengthen our community, and build a more equitable and sustainable future. It's a simple, manageable way to make a real difference all year long. We have giving levels at $10, $25, $50, and $100+/month. 

Because lasting change doesn't happen all at once. It happens when people show up, again and again. 

Thank you!