Of?ce of the Mayor

City of Seattle

Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor

Executive Order 2020-01: Advancing a Green New Deal for Seattle

An Executive Order directing City departments to advance a Green New Deal for Seattle, work collaboratively and boldly to eliminate climate pollution, prioritize climate justice, and invest in an equitable transition to a clean energy economy.

WHEREAS, the Puget Sound Region is experiencing increasing sea levels and temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, a long-term decline in snow and ice, summer smoke from wildfires, and ocean acidification; and

WHEREAS, these changes pose increased risks to public health, infrastructure, safety, and the environment, as climate change exacerbates air pollution, increases flood risk, and increases the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat events; and

WHEREAS, the impacts of climate change fall disproportionately on people of color, immigrants, refugees, people with limited English language proficiency, Indigenous peoples, and low-income residents due to economic inequities and our history of institutional and systemic racism; and

WHEREAS, an October 2018 United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report states that to avoid the most devastating impacts of global warming, human beings must collectively implement rapid and far-reaching transitions in energy, land, urban infrastructure, and industrial systems to limit temperature rise to below 1.5C; and

WHEREAS, Seattle joined cities from around the world in October 2019 at the C40 Summit in Copenhagen to declare a commitment to a Global Green New Deal, including an urgent, fundamental, and irreversible transfer of global resources away from fossil fuels and a pledge to systematically engage with organized labor, business, and civil society to limit global temperature rise; and

WHEREAS, the Green New Deal directs government to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through a fair and just transition for all communities and workers; advance an equitable transition to stable, well-paying jobs; secure for all people clean air and water, climate and community resiliency, healthy food, access to nature, and a sustainable environment; and promote justice and equity by prioritizing investment in communities historically most harmed by economic, racial, and environmental injustice; and

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle has already enacted ambitious programs and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change including renewable energy requirements, advanced building codes and incentives for high-performance new buildings, energy efficient retrofits and tune ups, oil heat conversion, zero waste strategies, urban forest protection, green stormwater infrastructure, fare-free transit access for Seattle public school students, expanded transit service, multi-modal transportation investments, transportation electrification, transit-oriented development, mandatory housing affordability, broadened housing choices near work and high opportunity areas, equitable development investments, and environmental and racial justice policies; and

WHEREAS, Seattle's most recent Citywide greenhouse gas inventory indicates that we must be reducing emissions faster than current progress and achieving the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions will only be possible by purposely moving our buildings and transportation systems away from using fossil fuels and towards climate pollution free electricity; and

WHEREAS, Seattle has the opportunity to serve as a model for other communities by addressing the climate crisis with actions that eliminate climate pollution and enhance resilience through investments in apprenticeship and workforce training to advance economic opportunity and access to stable, well-paying jobs and keeping frontline communities and businesses in place, all of which should be done in partnership with local businesses, labor organizations, neighborhoods groups, nonprofit organizations, and impacted communities, including but not limited to workers, immigrants, refugees, people with limited English language proficiency, Native peoples, and low-income residents; and

NOW THEREFORE, I, JENNY A. DURKAN, Mayor of Seattle, hereby affirm the City's commitment to advance true climate solutions, including a Green New Deal for Seattle.

Section 1: Green New Deal for Seattle

I hereby direct all City departments to work together and with the Green New Deal Oversight Board, the Mayor's Youth Climate Council, and other stakeholders to advance the shared goals of the Green New Deal. All City departments shall advance actions that:

1. Reduce pollution at the rate of progress scientists say is necessary to limit average global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C;

2. Promote economic opportunity and inclusive access to stable, well-paying jobs; and

3. Advance environmental justice by ensuring the benefits and investments of the clean energy transition accrue to those communities and populations historically most burdened by the fossil fuel economy.

In advancing a Green New Deal for Seattle, solutions must be consistent with Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) and an RSJI analysis should be conducted on any major action. City departments and the Oversight Board shall also ground their work in the goals of the Equity & Environment Agenda.

Section 2: Green New Deal City Team

The Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) shall work with City departments to identify actions that achieve the goals of the Green New Deal for Seattle.

1. OSE shall convene a Green New Deal City Team of representatives from relevant City Departments. The Team's work shall be led by a subcommittee consisting of OSE, the Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, Office of Economic Development, Department of Finance and Administrative Services, and Department of Neighborhoods.

2. The Team shall review and evaluate department-identified opportunities to lower greenhouse gas emissions from its policies, programs, and purchasing per Executive Order 2018-01 and shall make recommendations on reducing emissions from City investments.

3. The Team shall collectively engage in advancing high-impact climate actions, including but not limited to building performance standards for decarbonizing existing and future buildings; dense, inclusive land use with access to green space; affordable, high-occupancy, electrified transportation; pricing for equitable mobility; and a fossil-free zone in Seattle.

4. The Team shall develop priority City actions to align with community-wide, regional, state, federal, and other actions critical to advance an equitable transition away from fossil fuels and deliver on the goals of a Green New Deal for Seattle.

5. The Team shall issue a brief report identifying the top 10 actions the City could take in order to achieve marked and expeditious reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The report shall outline the various actions, impacts and costs of those actions, and an RSJI analysis of those actions by June 1, 2020.

6. The Team shall study the feasibility of the City of Seattle purchasing renewable natural gas (RNG) for use in buildings and the transportation fleet as they transition to the exclusive use of electricity. The study should include an analysis of the ability of RNG to provide immediate greenhouse gas reduction benefits and identify the available supply, cost, and best use of RNG for municipal operations by September 30, 2020.

7. The Team shall engage with local businesses, workforce development organizations, and the labor community to identify and strengthen pathways to economic opportunity for those workers most impacted by the transition to a clean economy and to ensure workers are well matched to jobs created by emerging clean industries.

8. Green New Deal for Seattle actions shall be included in department work plans and shall be reflected in Department Director annual Accountability Agreements when applicable.

9. The Office of Sustainability & Environment shall facilitate semi-annual engagements with the Green New Deal Oversight Board, and other stakeholders as needed, to deepen collaboration and partnership around Green New Deal actions and outcomes.

10. The Team shall work with the City Budget Office to prepare a Green New Deal budget memo for consideration in City's budget process by June 1, 2020 and thereafter annually.

Section 3: Green New Deal Community Engagement

In addition to action by the City of Seattle, the Green New Deal requires substantial shifts across all sectors of our community and the economy that will require commitments and actions from county, state, and federal agencies; tribal governments and representatives; businesses; and other community organizations. In order to best support the actions necessary to achieve the goals of the Green New Deal, the Office of Sustainability & Environment shall work with Office of Intergovernmental Relations and the Mayor's Office to engage stakeholders on collaborative efforts to develop additional City policies, inform and support necessary funding and investments, and advance opportunities for partnership on actions that achieve the goals of the Green New Deal. These entities may include, but are not limited to, the philanthropic community, business community, labor community, non-governmental organizations, health care community, county and state agencies, state legislators, and tribes.

Section 4: Fossil Fuel-Free Municipal Buildings

Commencing with this Executive Order, every new or substantially altered municipal building shall operate without using fossil fuel systems and appliances. Fossil fuel systems and appliances include, but are not limited to, space heating and cooling, water heating, or cooking.

I hereby direct the Mayor's Capital Subcabinet, the Office of Sustainability & Environment, Seattle City Light, and the City Budget Office to work with all relevant City departments to develop a Municipal Buildings Electrification Strategy for the elimination of fossil fuel use in municipal buildings. The strategy shall outline the actions and investments necessary to eliminate fossil fuel use in municipal buildings, including prioritizing detailed planning for investments in buildings with existing plans for substantial alterations, ongoing life-cycle fossil fuel system replacement efforts, and fossil fuel system replacements with the greatest potential return on investment based on cost analysis that includes the cost of carbon emission impacts. In addition, the strategy should identify estimates of reductions in climate pollution and consider unique challenges and extenuating circumstances for ensuring continuity of service, future electric vehicle (EV) charging needs, and related building improvements that may be necessary or that improve the cost-effectiveness of transitioning municipal buildings to operate fossil fuel-free.

The Electrification Strategy for any new municipal buildings or municipal buildings with planned substantial alterations during the 2021 or 2022 budgets shall be completed by June 1, 2020. The Electrification Strategy for all other municipal buildings, projects in permitting or previously approved agreements shall be completed by January 1, 2021.

Section 5: Measuring Progress

The City's current system of greenhouse gas inventories provides transparency and is an important measurement tool. The information lag time of the inventory, however, makes it insufficient for meaningful tracking of the City's progress. To remedy this, I direct the Office of Sustainability & Environment to work with stakeholders and City departments to determine key indicators that help us understand emissions trends and prioritize investments. These indicators should provide meaningful data for building, waste, and transportation emissions and should be data points that can be updated quarterly or more frequently. The Seattle Information Technology Department will build an easily accessible, regularly updated dashboard to track and communicate these indicators with the public. OSE shall report on the proposed indicators by September 30, 2020, with the dashboard operational by October 30, 2020.

Section 6: Reporting

1. The Green New Deal City Team shall report to the Mayor's Capital and Climate and Environment Subcabinets and solicit input from the subcabinets on the workplan and progress measures.

2. The City Team shall report annually to the Mayor's Cabinet on carbon pollution reductions and progress toward advancing a Green New Deal for Seattle, including the climate dashboard and biennial update of the citywide greenhouse gas inventory.

3. The City Team will report to the City Council by July 1, 2020 and provide annual reports through 2030 on Seattle's progress on eliminating climate pollution and advancing a Green New Deal for Seattle.

Inquiries by City departments and offices regarding this Executive Order should be directed to Chase Kitchen, Policy Advisor, Office of the Mayor.

Dated this 8th day of January

Jenny A. Durkan

Mayor of Seattle