AgdaPkt 2008-11-24 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

5C for Sustainability and in partnership with the Joint Venture Silicon Valley Climate Page 2 Protection Task Force. The calculations quantify GHG emissions levels from all municipal operations (e.g., city owned and/or operated buildings, streetlights, transit systems, wastewater treatment facilities) and from all community-related activities (e.g., residential and commercial buildings, motor vehicles, waste streams, industry). The emissions inventory and forecast will provide a benchmark for planning and monitoring progress. Calculations estimating the City's GHG emissions attributable to municipal operations are in progress. Calculations of emissions from community-related activities are completed. (Please see Attachment II, "Sustainability Indicator Analysis: Redwood City Preliminary Report" which includes an analysis of Redwood City community scale ghg emissions and related transportation, green building and green business operations data.) Adopt an emissions reduction target for the forecast year Once the inventories are completed, the City will be asked to adopt an emISSIons reduction target. Setting a target is designed to foster political will and create a framework to guide planning, implementation and evaluation of measures. State law AB 32 requires a reduction in both city operations and community greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels means cutting approximately 30 percent from business-as-usual emission levels projected for 2020, or about 10 percent from today's levels. On a per-capita basis, that means reducing our annual emissions of 14 tons of carbon dioxide for every man, woman and child in California down to about 10 tons per person by 2020. Development of Climate Action Plan At the same time that our GHG emissions inventory is being completed, the City is using the Institute for Local Government's California Climate Action Best Practices Framework to survey departments to determine what best practices in climate protection are already being implemented by the City organization. In addition, staff is using the survey to analyze where additional effort is needed. The foundation upon which staff will develop a community-wide Climate Action Plan will include: 1. Community input gathered in conjunction with the General Plan process, 2. Data from the Redwood City operations and community scale greenhouse gas emissions inventories, 3. Redwood City General Plan Sustainability Indicator Report and 4. An analysis of current best practices in climate protection. The completed Climate Action Plan will include a timeline, a description of financing mechanisms, and an assignment of responsibility to departments, staff and community. In addition to direct GHG reduction measures, the plan will incorporate public awareness strategies, community education efforts and green workforce development strategies. It will also outline how the City will adapt to climate change and it will dovetail with regional climate protection efforts. The goal is to complete the Climate Action Plan in the fall of 2009.