HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02272007 - C.90 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Contra
FROM: Dennis M. Barry, AICP a• Costa
Community Development Director County
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DATE: February 27, 2007 C
SUBJECT: CONDUCT INVENTORY OF LOCAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. AUTHORIZE use of the Dougherty Valley Regional Enhancement Fund to pay initial
annual membership fee of $5,750 for the County to join ICLEI —Local Governments
for Sustainability (formerly known as International Council of Environmental
Initiatives).
2. AUTHORIZE the Climate Change Working Group to conduct greenhouse gas
emissions inventory using a part-time intern funded by County Health Services
Department - Hazardous Materials Division with the assistance of ICLEI.
FISCAL IMPACT
ICLEI membership fee of $5,750 would be paid from the Dougherty Valley Regional
Enhancement Fund, which the Board has discretion to use for various purposes such as
transit, transportation and economic development activities. Transportation and
residential sectors together account for 61% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the Bay
Area. Membership in ICLEI entitles the County to obtain software which the County will
use to identify potential reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that could be achieved
from implementing a wide range of measures related to transportation and development.
Consequently, there is a potential direct benefit from the use of the Dougherty Valley
Regional Enhancement Fund to cover the membership fee in ICLEI.
The Health Services Department - Hazardous Materials Division has agreed to provide
funding to hire an intern to conduct the greenhouse gas emissions inventory (with the
assistance of ICLEI staff and resources). The General Services Department (GSD) has
agreed to provide workspace for the intern which will help maximize efficiency considering
GSD staff will have the majority of data the intern will need
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMI EE
.APPROVE OTHER
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SIGNATURES :
ACTION OF BO ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS (ABSEN ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
Contact: Deidra Dingman 925/335-1224 ATTESTED 'y 4P-1) 7 `
cc: County Administrator's Office JOHN CULLEN, LERK OF THE
Community Development Department(CDD) BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND
Health Services Department- Hazardous Materials COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
General Services Department
BY , DEPUTY
D:\Climate Change\ICLEI\BO_Climate-GHG Inventory.doc
a
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Conduct Inventory of Local Greenhouse Gas Emissions
February 27, 2007
Page 2
BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
The.County Board of Supervisors originally formed the Climate Change Working Group in May
2005. The County's.Climate Change Working Group is comprised of the Agricultural
Commissioner and the Directors of the Building Inspection Department, Community Development
Department, General Services Department, Health Services Department and Public Works
Department.
On November 15, 2005, the Board accepted the "Contra Costa County Climate Protection Report"
dated November 2005 which lists measures that have been partially or fully implemented by the
County that potentially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This Report also contains a
listing of measures/actions the County could consider implementing or expanding upon to reduce
GHG emissions generated directly as a result of County operations (including County owned or
maintained buildings, vehicles and right-of-way) or generated by sources within the private sector
which potentially fall within the County's authority.
On November 14, 2006, the Board authorized the Climate Change Working Group to join ICLEI -
Local Governments for Sustainability (formerly known as the International Council for Local
Environmental Initiatives) Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Campaign to build upon the County's
climate protection efforts. ICLEI is an international membership association of local governments
dedicated to addressing environmental problems through local actions. ICLEI works with local
governments to help them reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and therefore their impact on
global climate change.
Conducting a local greenhouse gas emissions inventory is the first milestone for local governments
participating in the CCP Campaign. Conducting the emissions inventory will enable the County to
quantify emissions from the overall community (external) and municipal operations (internal). This
inventory would serve as a baseline for comparison purposes to see how local emissions change
over time. By using local energy and waste data, the County can establish its baseline inventory
and develop a forecast of anticipated future emissions. The baseline inventory can also be helpful
when setting an emissions reduction target (second CCP Milestone), prioritizing future actions to
reduce emissions, and measuring future progress (fifth CCP Milestone).
As a participant in ICLEI's CCP Campaign, the County will have access to information and
resources to help identify the feasibility and effectiveness of the new and expanded measures
identified in the County's Climate Protection Report dated November 2005. Furthermore, by
conducting the emissions inventory utilizing ICLEI's framework allows the County to:
o Utilize ICLEI's software and associated training to assist with quantifying emissions,
o Access ICLEI's technical assistance and their professional network of peers,
o Involve county departments who later become essential to creating and implementing the
action plan,
o Quantify emissions reductions from the actions the county has already implemented,
o Quantify potential emissions reductions of new or expanded measures prior to committing
resources/staff,
o Document emissions reduction efforts in a manner that is comparable to others which may
become important as the State moves forward with efforts to mandate reduction of
greenhouse gases emissions.
ICLEI provides members with notification of relevant grant opportunities, which can be very
valuable. New dedicated funding will be critical to pay for the development of a climate action plan
(third CCP Milestone) and implement effective long-term emission reduction strategies (fourth CCP
Milestone).
The County's Climate Protection Report contains most of the elements of a local climate action
plan (third CCP Milestone). The climate action plan represents the local blueprint for climate
protection, which should include the set of programs and policies the jurisdiction will implement in
order to achieve its chosen emissions reduction targets. The climate action plan should include
existing initiatives implemented, as well as potential new policies and programs that, when fully
implemented, will help meet the chosen emissions reduction targets.
Background regarding the County's climate protection efforts, including the 2005 Climate
Protection Report and previous Board Orders has been posted on the County's website (to go
directly to that web page visit www.cccrecycle.org/climate).
DAClimate Change\ICLEI\60_C1imate-GHG Inventory.doc