The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 02122008 - D.2 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STs Contra FROM: Climate Change Working Group Costa County co � DATE: February 12, 2008 `°��--- Sra -• SUBJECT: Climate Protection Grant and Recognition SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION(S) 1 . ACKNOWLEDGE that Contra Costa County was recognized at a recent conference of the California State Association of Counties for adopting the U.S. Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration, pledging that the County will take immediate steps to help the federal, state, and local governments within its boundaries to achieve the 2050 climate stabilization goal of 80% reduction of current greenhouse gas emissions. (Attachment A) 2. ACKNOWLEDGE that Contra Costa County has been awarded a Climate Protection Planning grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in the amount of $40,000 to fund certain staff costs associated with the development of a Municipal Climate Action Plan. 3. AUTHORIZE the Community Development Director, or his designee, to execute all contracts and documents necessary to secure Climate Protection grant funds from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and implement approved grant project(s). FISCAL IMPACT The development of a Climate Action Plan with reduction measures targeting municipal greenhouse gas emissions involves extensive research and detailed analysis that will require dedicated staffing resources. Contra Costa County has been awarded a Climate Protection Planning grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in the amount of $40,000 (effective in March 2008) to fund certain Administrative Intern staff costs associated with the development of a Municipal Climate Action Plan. ""'� 6 CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: ® YES ❑ NO SIGNATURE RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD CO ITTEE ,,APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURES ACTION OF B RD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VO T OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND UNANIMOUS (ABSENT: ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF AYES: NOES: SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Contact: Deidra Dingman ( )man 925-335-1224 ATTESTED Id" �Q cc: Ed Meyer, Agricultural Commissioner JOHN CULLEN, CL K OF fHE Carlos Baltadano, Building Inspection Department (BID) BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND Dennis Barry, Community Development Department (CDD) COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Dr. Bill Walker, Health Services Department (HSD) Dr. Wendel Brunner, HSD-Public Health Mike Lango, General Services Department (GSD) Maurice Shiu, Public Works Department (PWD) Jason Crapo, County Administrators Office (CAO) BY , DEPUTY DAClimate Change\BoS-Feb 2008\B0_C1imate-Feb2008.doc " Climate Protection Grant and Recognition February 12, 2008 Page 2 of 3 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. Background regarding the County's climate protection efforts, including previous Board Orders, is available on the County's website (www.cccrecycle.org/climate). In October 2007, the Board accepted the "Contra Costa County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report," which summarizes the results of the County's greenhouse gas emissions inventory. By conducting the emissions inventory, the County was able to quantify existing emissions and forecast anticipated future emissions from municipal operations and communitywide actions. After Board approval of the Inventory Report, the software used to generate the inventory was updated by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), and this could potentially result in small changes to the inventory numbers. If necessary, a revised inventory report will be presented to the Board for approval. As recommended in the Inventory Report, the County also adopted the U.S. Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration Resolution (Attachment A) in September 2007, which calls for the County to work closely with local, state, and federal governments and other leaders to develop a regional plan to reduce the County's communitywide greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below current levels by 2050. The County was recognized at a recent conference of the California State Association of Counties for the adoption of this Declaration. According to ICLEI's Cities for Climate Protection Campaign and the framework of the US Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration, the next step in the climate protection process is the development of a Climate Action Plan. A 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 as well as potential new policies and programs that, when fully implemented, will help meet the chosen emissions reduction targets. In October 2007, the Board authorized the Climate Change Working Group to develop a Climate Action Plan using an Administrative Intern. The County's Climate Action Plan will be developed in two separate phases, the first focused on further reducing the County's municipal greenhouse gas emissions and the second focused on communitywide emissions. While communitywide reduction measures may result in greater overall greenhouse gas reductions, the County government has greater control over its municipal emissions, and the development of a Municipal Climate Action Plan provides an opportunity for the County to really lead by example. The County's Municipal Climate Action Plan will be designed as a template that could be customized for use by Contra Costa cities and other local governments. Contra Costa County has been awarded a Climate Protection grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) in the amount of $40,000 (effective in March 2008) to help fund the development of the Municipal Climate Action Plan. The BAAQMD's Climate Protection grants support greenhouse gas reduction activities across the Bay Area, and the County was selected from a pool of 81 applicants. This grant will fund Administrative Intern staff time associated with the following tasks: 1. Quantify the greenhouse gas reductions and implementation costs for existing and potential reduction measures that target emissions from municipal operations; 2. Identify and secure (where possible) potential funding sources to implement measures; and 3. Work with local cities to develop and implement a Countywide Climate Action Plan focused on reduction measures that target non-municipal sources of greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. land use, private buildings, transportation, private-sector waste, etc.). These plans reflect the information that was included in the grant application, but may change when the scope of work is finalized with the BAAQMD in February 2008. The Municipal Climate Action Plan is expected to be complete by the end of 2008. Climate Protection Grant and Recognition February 12, 2008 Page 3 of 3 BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS (cont'd) ICLEI received a one time grant to launch the Contra Costa County Climate Protection Project to provide assistance to local governments within Contra Costa County. On August 28, 2007, ICLEI held a kick-off workshop in Walnut Creek to announce the initiation of this 11-month Project. Cities were informed that they must become ICLEI members to receive assistance under this Project. Along with Contra Costa County, the following local cities have already joined ICLEI and are preparing to initiate their inventories: Antioch, Danville, EI Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Richmond, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek. Representatives in Oakley and Pleasant Hill have also shown interest in joining and may do so before the next workshop. ICLEI's workshop schedule has changed since its inclusion in the September 2007 Climate Protection Board Order. According to the updated schedule, the next workshop will be held on February 6 and 14, 2008, and will assist each member in the development of its communitywide emissions inventory (for the County and each participating city). The third workshop will be held in April or May 2008, focusing on the development of a climate action plan. The Contra Costa County Climate Protection Project should provide a good opportunity for the County and local cities to share information regarding the status of climate protection efforts. Although the County has already completed its communitywide inventory (includes emissions generated from the incorporated and unincorporated areas), it would be beneficial to obtain results of the communitywide emissions inventory for each city to identify what proportion of the County's communitywide emissions are being generated from the incorporated areas. This information would be particularly valuable to the County if funding is allocated in the future to develop a Communitywide Climate Action Plan (second Climate Action Plan phase). This Project can also serve as a forum for a dialogue between County and local cities regarding a more regional approach and encourage development and implementation of a Countywide Climate Action Plan focused on reduction measures that target non-municipal sources of greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. land use, private buildings, transportation, private-sector waste, etc.). ATTACHMENTS: A. Resolution — US Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration ATTACHMENT A 4, IN THE MATTER OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Contra ADOPTING THE U.S. COOL COUNTIES Costa CLIMATE STABILIZATION DECLARATION a == J County RESOLUTION NO. 2007/541/ WHEREAS, there is a consensus among the world's leading scientists that global warming caused by emission of greenhouse gases has a profound effect on the Earth's climate and is among the most significant problems facing the world today; WHEREAS, documented impacts of global warming include but are not limited to increased occurrences of extreme weather events (i.e., droughts and floods), adverse impacts on plants and wildlife habitats, threats to global food and water supplies—all of which have an economic impact on communities and their local governments; WHEREAS, leading scientists have projected that stabilization of climate change in time to minimize such impacts will regWre a reduction of global warming emissions to 80 percent below current levels by the year 2050; WHEREAS, currently the United States is responsible for producing approximately 25 percent of the world's global warming pollutants; WHEREAS, many leading U.S. companies that have adopted greenhouse gas reduction programs to demonstrate corporate and operational responsibility have also publicly expressed preference for the federal government to adopt precise and mandatory emissions targets and timetables as a means by which to provide a uniform and predictable regulatory environment to encourage and enable necessary and long-term business investments; WHEREAS, state, regional and local governments throughout the United States are adopting emissions reduction targets and programs and that this effort is bipartisan, coming from Republican and Democratic leadership; WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has endorsed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which commits cities to reduction of global warming emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, and calls for a federal limit on emissions; WHEREAS, the State of California has mandated statewide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050; WHEREAS, more than 100 county leaders signed a letter written by Dane County, Wisconsin, that was sent to the President in March 2006 calling for increased energy investment and development of jobs focused on clean energy technologies; WHEREAS, counties have a unique role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for the impacts of climate change through their regional jurisdiction over policy areas such as air quality, land use planning, transportation, zoning, forest preservation,water conservation, and wastewater and solid waste management; WHEREAS,the economic arguments for implementing climate solutions are compelling, from the near-term economic gains of energy efficiency to the long-term climate stabilization that can prevent irreparable harm from catastrophic climate change impacts; WHEREAS, many counties throughout the nation, both large and small, are reducing global warming pollutants through programs that provide economic and quality of life benefits such as reducing energy bills, preserving green space, implementing better land use policies, improving air quality, promoting waste-to-energy programs, expanding transportation and work choices to reduce traffic congestion, and fostering more economic development and job creation through energy conservation and new technologies; RESOLUTION NO. 2007/ s`�/ NOW, THEREFORE BE�IT RESOLVED,that the County of Contra Costa declares that we as Cool Counties will take immediate steps to help the federal, state, and our governments within our county to achieve the 2050 climate stabilization goal by making the following commitments: i. Create an inventory of our county government (operational)greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions and implement policies, programs and operations to achieve significant, measurable and sustainable reduction of those operational GHG emissions to help contribute to the regional reduction targets as identified in paragraph ii; ii. Work closely with local, state, and federal governments and other leaders to reduce county geographical GHG emissions to 80 percent below current levels by 2050, by developing a GHG emissions inventory and regional plan that establishes short-, mid-, and long-term GHG reduction targets, with recommended goals to stop increasing emissions by 2010, and to achieve a 10 percent reduction every five years thereafter through to 2050. iii. Urge Congress and the Administration to enact a multi-sector national program of requirements, market-based limits, and incentives for reducing GHG emissions to 80 percent below current levels by 2050. Urge Congress and the Administration to strengthen standards by enacting legislation such as a Corporate Average Fuel Economy("CAFE") standard that achieves at least 35 miles per gallon (mpg)within 10 years for cars and light trucks. BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the County will take immediate steps to identify regional climate change impacts; we will draft and implement a county plan to prepare for and build resilience to those impacts. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS: UNANIMOUS(ABSENT AYES: NOES: Witness my hand and the Seal of the Board of Supervisors affixed on ABSENT. ABSTAIN:_ this 2nd day of Ort�ner.2007 JOHN CULLEN,Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County Administarator /Deputy D:1C6mate Change\Cool Counfies Resolufion.doc v RESOLUTION NO. 2007/5 y/