The Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan commits the Town to the bold, ambitious goal to reduce municipal greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030 from a 2010 baseline.

From 2012 to 2024, the Town’s municipal greenhouse gas emissions decreased by almost 18%. That’s equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 112 gasoline cars driven for a year or the carbon sequestered by almost 8,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years!

But there is more to be done. To reach an 80% reduction, the Town will implement programs to increase the energy efficiency of municipal buildings by conducting building energy audits to identify energy conservation measures in each building, upgrading building equipment with more energy efficient technologies, and improving building operations, maintenance and occupant behavior.

This measure uses Fiscal Year 2022–2023 energy levels as our baseline target to reduce energy consumption in Town operated buildings by 20% by 2030.

Rising utility bills hit low-to-moderate-income families the hardest. Traditional "code-built" homes—houses built to only meet the legal minimum construction guidelines—might be cheaper to build initially, but they often trap residents in drafty, inefficient spaces with high energy and maintenance costs.

While existing weatherization programs offer vital aid to our lowest-income neighbors, a critical gap remains. Residents who earn just above the cutoff for those programs still face soaring energy bills but lack the savings or financing to pay for high-impact upgrades like increased insulation levels, ductwork repairs, heat pumps, and efficient appliances.

To close this gap, the Town of Carrboro is launching a new energy efficiency mini-grant program. In partnership with Preserving Home, the Town will fund and install high-impact energy upgrades in 10 Carrboro homes starting in early 2027.

This pilot program specifically targets moderate-income households earning between 80% and 150% of the Area Median Income (AMI), ensuring that families caught in the middle receive the support they need to lower their utility bills and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

Carrboro’s Comprehensive Plan sets an ambitious goal: cutting our community greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030. However, current projections show we are only on track for a 40% reduction.

At the same time, housing costs are hitting our community hard. Nearly 60% of Carrboro residents face a high housing burden, meaning they spend more than a third of their income just on a place to live. High energy bills only add to this strain.

To tackle both climate change and housing affordability, the Town has secured an Orange County Climate Action grant to conduct professional energy audits on 25 homes owned by low-to-moderate-income residents. These assessments will identify where they are losing energy and money, and prioritize upgrades to the home.

The Green Neighborhoods Grant Program seeks to benefit low-income households and those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change by bringing neighbors together to pursue projects which reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create resilient natural areas, ultimately benefiting the entire community. So far, Carrboro has awarded grants to 33 projects over four funding cycles.

Trees and tree canopy play an important role in the Carrboro community by reducing heat, improving water and air quality, stabilizing slopes, providing food and forage for wildlife and humans, and adding to quality of life for everyone. The Town of Carrboro is recognized as a Tree City USA for its commitment to maintaining its urban forest.

Town staff will be working with ArborPro to collect information on trees in the public right of way to create a Street Tree Inventory to collect information on our public trees along Carrboro owned streets and parks, including the species, diameter, height, and overall condition.

ArborPro will use the information from the Street Tree Inventory and community input to create an Urban Forestry Management Plan that will provide a roadmap of community-influenced recommendations to support a sustainable, resilient urban forest that thrives into the future.