City Council
MEETING DATE: 7/26/2017
TITLE:
Title
Resolution of Support for Climate Agreements
End
FROM:
Charlie McClendon, City Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council approve a resolution affirming the City of Cathedral City’s Commitment to Support its 2013 Climate Action Plan, the State of California Under 2° MOU and Execute Order B-30-15, and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The City of Cathedral City adopted its Climate Action Plan in 2013. The executive summary of the plan states: "Cathedral City is proud to have completed this report, the “2013 Climate Action Plan: Leadership in Energy Efficiency.” It falls within a broader Sustainability Planning context supported by Southern California Edison (SCE) and its ratepayers in a program called “Green for Life.”
With this Plan, Cathedral City is joining an increasing number of California local governments committed to addressing climate change at the local level. It is taking action now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within its own operations and within the overall community.
Cathedral City will take common-sense approaches to reduce energy use and waste, create local jobs, improve air quality, preserve our local landscape and history, and in other ways benefit the City for years to come." The Climate Action Plan is attached.
Governor Brown's Executive Order B-30-15 issued in April 2015 orders, among other things that: "A new interim statewide greenhouse gas emission reduction target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 is established in order to ensure California meets its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050; and all state agencies with jurisdiction over sources of greenhouse gas emissions shall implement measures, pursuant to statutory authority, to achieve reductions of greenhouse gas emissions to meet the 2030 and 2050 greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets."
The Paris Agreement is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Framework_Convention_on_Climate_Change> dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_mitigation>, adaptation <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_adaptation> and finance starting in the year 2020. The agreement was negotiated in Paris <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris> and adopted by consensus in December 2015. Most parties to the agreement, including the United States, signed the accord in April 2016.
DISCUSSION:
Earlier this year President Trump announced his intent to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement. In response, some states and cities have reaffirmed their commitment to addressing issues related to climate change.
Mayor Pro Tem Pettis and CM Kaplan have asked the Council to affirm the City's support of the attached plans, orders and agreements. They prepared a draft resolution for consideration, which is also attached.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City's plans and budgets already contemplate the actions necessary to implement the plans and agreements over time.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
2013 Climate Action Plan
Under 2 MOU
Executive Order B-30-15
Paris Agreement