Resolution _________________
A RESOLUTION adopting the 2013 Seattle Climate Action Plan.
WHEREAS, due to global climate change average annual temperatures in the Pacific Northwest have increased about 1.5 o F in the last century and further climate change is expected to impact the Northwest's temperatures, precipitation and sea
level with consequences for City operations and infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, to address climate change the Seattle City Council adopted Resolution 30316 in 2001 to support efforts to curb global warming, adopt greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction goals for the City of Seattle, and call for continuing and new actions
toward achieving those goals; and
WHEREAS, the City of Seattle created the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement in 2005, an agreement that more than 1000 mayors from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have signed; and
WHEREAS, in 2006 the Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) issued the first Seattle Climate Action Plan, which included a suite of actions to reduce GHG emissions; and
WHEREAS, in 2010 the City Council announced the vision of achieving zero net GHG emissions ("carbon neutrality") in the city and convened community volunteers in eight work groups to generate white papers and presentations reflecting their best thinking
of how to achieve that bold goal; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution 31312 in 2011 formally adopting the new goal of zero net GHG emissions by 2050 and directing OSE to initiate an update of the Seattle Climate Action Plan with a focus on the transportation, land use, building
energy and solid waste sectors that City government can most influence; and
WHEREAS, OSE commissioned a technical study and convened technical committees to identify action options and potential pathways to carbon neutrality as input to the 2013 Seattle Climate Action Plan update; and
WHEREAS, OSE convened a Green Ribbon Commission to build on the work of the technical committees and provide recommendations that would reduce emissions and contribute to other community goals as further input to the 2013 Seattle Climate Action Plan;
and
WHEREAS, input from the general public was actively sought during development of the 2013 Seattle Climate Action Plan through online surveys and public meetings; and
WHEREAS, the 2013 Seattle Climate Action Plan identifies actions to achieve City climate goals while also substantially contributing to many other City goals, including transportation choices, building energy efficiency, solid waste reduction, urban
forest protection, sustainable economic development, and clean air; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:
Section 1. The 2013 Seattle Climate Action Plan, attached hereto as Attachment 1, is hereby adopted to provide long-term planning direction and guide climate protection and adaptation efforts through 2030. It is anticipated that action on individual
plan recommendations will be considered by the Seattle City Council after a more complete analysis of each recommendation's costs and benefits to the public and private sectors as part of future policy and budget decisions.
Section 2. The Seattle City Council requests that by September 30, 2013 the Office of Sustainability and Environment will prepare an implementation plan for the Climate Action Plan actions to be implemented by 2015. The implementation plan will:
A. Identify the lead department, implementation schedule, and critical decisions needed to implement each action;
B. Outline a community involvement strategy including identifying partnerships and resources needed for implementation of the strategy; and
C. Evaluate the actions requiring state legislative authority and identify priorities for the City's 2014 State Legislative Agenda.
Section 3. The City Council requests that departments move forward quickly on the following actions and provide by September 30, 2013 a schedule, outline of policy decisions, and resource needs to accomplish each action:
A. Develop a comprehensive adaptation strategy;
B. Work with regional and state partners to adopt a funding strategy to meet current and future transportation funding needs;
C. Develop a citywide transit communities strategy including creation of equitable development policies that support growth and development near transit without displacement and strategies that provide for the retention and creation of affordable
commercial space and family sized housing in transit communities;
D. Research the benefits of pricing policies on climate protection, transportation and community goals;
E. Develop and begin implementation of a coordinated land use and transportation plan in a high-priority transit and bicycle corridor (such as Ballard to Downtown) with a goal of shifting more trips to travel modes that generate fewer or no
greenhouse gas emissions;
F. Include health, safety, and equity outcomes in transportation and land use planning building on the Healthy Living Assessment project;
G. Consider a transportation modal hierarchy as part of the 2015 Comprehensive Plan Update in order to address climate greenhouse gas reductions, safety, mobility and funding priorities;
H. Based on a comprehensive review of the Community Power Works program, transition the Community Power Works -Home pilot program to an established program that assists homeowners with energy efficiency upgrades;
I. Expand district energy systems on First Hill and into the South Lake Union and Denny Triangle neighborhoods;
J. Pilot a utility incentive program that would pay for actual energy savings over time instead of providing up-front payment for projected savings;
K. Evaluate opportunities (including pilot projects) for the energy code to focus on total energy performance instead of prescriptive requirements;
L. Require buildings undergoing major renovation or change of use to come close to the energy performance requirement for new buildings; and
M. Develop and test a program for rating and disclosing home energy performance.
Adopted by the City Council the ____ day of ____________________, 2013, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this________ day
of ______________________, 2013.
_________________________________
President ___________of the City Council
THE MAYOR CONCURRING:
_________________________________
Michael McGinn, Mayor
Filed by me this ____ day of ________________________, 2013.
____________________________________
Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)
Attachment 1 -2013 Seattle Climate Action Plan
Meg Moorehead LEG Climate Plan RES June 10, 2013 Version #4
Attachment 1 -2013 Seattle Climate Action Plan