Get Involved: Take Action to Address Climate Change

Learn how you can take action to reduce your personal impact on climate change, advocate for sustainable policies and programs, and build resiliency to lessen the effects on our community.

Take Action

Volunteer

Hillsboro Parks & Recreation

Check out volunteer opportunities to support Hillsboro's natural beauty, including outdoor opportunities at parks and Jackson Bottom Wetlands, individual opportunities, and group projects.

HandsOn Greater Portland

Hands On offers a range of volunteer programs designed to provide everyone with the opportunity to make a difference in our community.

Search for "environment" to find habitat restoration projects, park cleanups, recycling projects, and more.

SOLVE

SOLVE invites individuals from all backgrounds and ages to participate in volunteering. Their projects strive to bring together people from diverse ethnic, social, economic, and geographic backgrounds, fostering a shared sense of community while working to enhance our natural areas.

Connect With Local Organizations

350 PDX

350 PDX builds people’s movement in fighting for climate justice. Events, training, film screenings, team meetings, and art builds are open for anyone to attend.

See their volunteer webpage, full events calendar, and Washington County Chapter events to find opportunities to get involved.

The Climate Reality Project

Send a message that shows your support for the environment to large corporations or even congress. The Climate Reality Project, with a global network of 3.5 million, is working to build a just and sustainable true net zero future. Get the tools, training and network to help stop global warming.

Unite Oregon

Unite Oregon is committed to climate adaptation strategies that mitigate the effects of climate change on vulnerable Oregonians. They work within communities to provide resources and opportunities for wealth-building to historically excluded communities.

Engage With the City of Hillsboro

Join Washington County's Green Business Leaders Program

Reduce Your Climate Impact

The largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Hillsboro are building & home energy use, transportation, and consumption of food & goods. Learn how you can reduce your climate impact in these areas.

Reduce Home Energy Use

Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates

Efficient Appliances & Proper Home Insulation

Learn how to receive Hillsboro Water Department rebates on water & energy efficient appliances.
Apply for a City of Hillsboro Energy Efficiency Grant to get a new heat pump water heater.
The City of Hillsboro's Housing Rehabilitation Program can assist with insulation & weatherization.
Community Action's Energy Conservation Program supports a variety of home improvements.
Learn about proper insulation and get cash back incentives from the Energy Trust of Oregon.

Solar Energy

Add solar panels or Solar + Storage to your home with help from the Energy Trust of Oregon.
Attend solar workshops and webinars provided by Solar Oregon.
Explore community solar projects to subscribe to a share of a solar farm near you.

Green Power

Purchase Green Future Choice Renewable Power through Portland General Electric.

Reduce Transportation Impacts

Eco-Friendly Transportation

Two people riding bikes on a tree lined path Try alternative ways to get around such as public transit, biking, or walking!

Safe Routes to School provides routes for your kid to get to school in a more climate-friendly way by walking, biking, scootering, skateboarding, or riding the bus.

Electric Vehicles

Consider driving an electric vehicle to reduce your gasoline use and emissions.

The Oregon Electric Vehicle Association can help you learn more.
Find Forth Mobility programs that make it easier and cheaper to access an electric car.
Check out PGE's Electric Vehicle resources, including a costs & savings calculator.
View a map of electric vehicle charging stations in Hillsboro.

Reduce Pollution

Learn how to reduce pollution from vehicles and engines.

Reduce Food System & Product Consumption Impacts

Sustainable Eating

Plant-based eating (new webpage coming soon!)
Use Eat Smart, Waste Less strategies to throw away less food.
Make your diet more sustainable.

Compost

Hillsboro residents can compost food scraps with their yard waste. Learn what you can compost in Hillsboro.

Recycle

Returning deposit bottles and cans through BottleDrop ensures they are recycled in a closed loop process.
Wondering what can be recycled? Use Washington County's What to Recycle and Where tool to search items and find out how to properly discard, donate, or recycle them.

Buy Local

Buying local supports nearby farms and businesses, reduces transportation impacts, and produces less packaging.
- Visit our Hillsboro Farmers' Markets and Tuesday Night Market for local crafts & produce.

Be Climate Resilient

As global temperatures rise, the intensity and frequency of worldwide natural disasters continues to increase.

Climate change is also making an impact on our local community as we experience increased severe weather events, including dangerous heat waves, wildfires, drought, heavy rain, severe wind, and snow and ice storms.

Climate Resiliency Resources

Sign up for Public Alerts to receive emergency alerts by text, email, or phone.
Check out our Beat the Heat webpage for cooling shelter updates, information on preventing heat-related illness. You'll also find spraygrounds, free water dispensers, and more ways to stay cool.
Visit our Weather Safety webpage for updates on warming shelters, City facility closures, road closures, snow plowing, power outages, and more.
Visit our Prepare Now webpage to learn how to get ready for extreme weather and natural disasters.
Visit Washington County's Addressing Climate Change webpage for more health resources, sustainability tips, and disaster preparedness resources.

Thank You 2023-24 Youth Advisory Council!

This webpage was made possible by the 2023-24 Hillsboro Youth Advisory Council’s Climate Resilience & Sustainability Subcommittee. Learn more about the Youth Advisory Council.

In selecting their yearly project, the subcommittee met with City sustainability experts, resulting in the idea of collaborating on a climate change webpage to further educate the Hillsboro community on the climate issue and what they can do to help.