City of Akron Unveils Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Launches Climate Action Planning Process

The City of Akron has released an updated greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory – the first the city has conducted in about 15 years. Director of Sustainability and Resiliency Casey Shevlin has worked with Power a Clean Future Ohio on developing this report, which provides a critical snapshot of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions today as well as the progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that has been made over the past 15 years. The GHG inventory sets the foundation for the city to embark on a formal climate action planning process, which will ensure the city is reducing the carbon pollution that causes climate change and preparing for the impacts of climate change in Akron. View the GHG inventory here.  

The City of Akron has reduced greenhouse gas emissions significantly since 2005. There has been a 29% reduction communitywide (surpassing the 20% reduction by 2025 target) and an outstanding 54% reduction from city operations specifically. Contributing efforts range from landfill diversion and energy efficiency to the municipal district energy system, wastewater process innovations, and many things in between.  

“Over the past 15 years, our city has made meaningful progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving sustainability,” said Akron Mayor Shammas Malik. “These achievements demonstrate that sustained effort can deliver measurable results for our environment and our community. The insights in this inventory will directly inform the next critical step in our journey: the city’s first formal Climate Action Plan. This effort aligns with the Living Together pillar within our Together for Akron Plan. These next steps will identify climate solutions for implementation that will advance sustainability for our community, making Akronites’ lives better and our community stronger.”  

“Measuring greenhouse gas is an important fundamental step to take in the broader climate action process,” Casey Shevlin, Director of Sustainability and Resiliency said. “As a city, we have to know where we are so that we can identify reduction strategies going forward, consider potential goals, track progress more regularly, and assess the effectiveness of our reduction strategies over time.” 

The next step for Akron is a formal climate action planning process, which will provide a roadmap for reducing carbon pollution, preparing for climate change, and improving quality of life for Akronites. That 12-15-month planning process kicked off in September 2025 and is expected to be complete between September and December 2026. Engaging with residents and community organizations will be a key part of the process. 

“Climate action planning is about more than greenhouse gas,” said Shevlin. “It's about addressing the many challenges facing Akron residents such as energy cost burdens, heat islands, asthma clusters, housing challenges, and more. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also working to solve these other challenges that are likely more visible and pressing for people.”   

There are climate action steps that Akronites can take to join us on this journey – from planting a tree to joining the City of Akron’s carbon-free electric aggregation program to composting food scraps and many other options. Those are included in the “Climate Action Steps You Can Take” section of the GHG Inventory Report.