HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso - CC - 063-2007RESOLUTION NO. 63-2007
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BURLINGAME
ENDORSING THE U.S. MAYORS CLIMATE PROTECTION AGREEMENT
RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Burlingame:
WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously adopted strong policy
resolutions calling for cities, communities and the federal government to take actions to reduce
global warming pollution; and
WHEREAS, the Inter -Governmental Panel on Climate Change JPCC), the international
community's most respected assemblage of scientists, has found that climate disruption is a
reality and that human activities are largely responsible for increasing concentrations of global
warming pollution; and
WHEREAS, recent, well-documented impacts of climate disruption include average
global sea level increases of four to eight inches during the 20th century; a 40 percent decline in
Arctic sea -ice thickness; and nine of the ten hottest years on record occurring in the past decade;
and
WHEREAS, climate disruption of the magnitude now predicted by the scientific
community will cause extremely costly disruption of human and natural systems throughout the
world including: increased risk of floods or droughts; sea -level rises that interact with coastal
storms to erode beaches, inundate land, and damage structures; more frequent and extreme heat
waves; more frequent and greater concentrations of smog; and
WHEREAS, on February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to
address climate disruption, went into effect in the 141 countries that have ratified it to date; 38
of those countries are now legally required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on average 5.2
percent below 1990 levels by 2012; and
WHEREAS, the United States of America, with less than five percent of the world's
population, is responsible for producing approximately 25 percent of the world's global
warming pollutants; and
WHEREAS, the Kyoto Protocol emissions reduction target for the U.S. would have been
7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012; and
WHEREAS, many leading US companies that have adopted greenhouse gas reduction
programs to demonstrate corporate social responsibility have also publicly expressed preference
for the US to adopt precise and mandatory emissions targets and timetables as a means by
which to remain competitive in the international marketplace, to mitigate financial risk and to
promote sound investment decisions; and
WHEREAS, state and local governments throughout the United States are adopting
emission reduction targets and programs and that this leadership is bipartisan, coming from
Republican and Democratic governors and mayors alike; and
WHEREAS, many cities throughout the nation, both large and small, are reducing global
warming pollutants through programs that provide economic and quality of life benefits such as
reduced energy bills, green space preservation, air quality improvements, reduced traffic
congestion, improved transportation choices, and economic development and job creation
through energy conservation and new energy technologies; and
WHEREAS, mayors from around the nation have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate
Protection Agreement which, as amended at the 73" Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors
meeting, reads:
The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
A. We urge the federal governrrrent and state governments to enact policies and programs to
meet or beat the target of reducing global warming pollution levels to 7 percent below
1990 levels by 2012, including efforts to: reduce the United States' dependence on fossil
fuels and accelerate the development of clean, economical energy resources and
fuel-efficient technologies such as conservation, methane recovery for energy
generation, waste to energy, wind and solar energy, fuel cells, efficient motor vehicles,
and biofuels;
B. We urge the U.S. Congress to pass bipartisan greenhouse gas reduction legislation that
includes 1) clear timetables and emissions limits and 2) a flexible, market-based system
of tradable allowances among emitting industries; and
C. We will strive to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global warming
pollution by taking actions in our own operations and communities such as:
Inventory global warning emissions in City operations and in the community, set
reduction targets and create an action plan.
2. Adopt and enforce land -use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve open space, and
create compact, walkable urban communities;
Promote transportation options such as bicycle trails, commute trip reduction
programs, incentives for car pooling and public transit;
4. Increase the use of clean, alternative energy by, for example, investing in "green
tags", advocating for the development of renewable energy resources, recovering
landfill methane for energy production, and supporting the use of waste to energy
technology;
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Make energy efficiency a priority through building code improvements,
retrofitting city facilities with energy efficient lighting and urging employees to
conserve energy and save money;
6. Purchase only Energy Star equipment and appliances for City use;
Practice and promote sustainable building practices using the U.S. Green
Building Council's LEED program or a similar system;
8. Increase the average fuel efficiency of municipal fleet vehicles; reduce the
number of vehicles; launch an employee education program including
anti -idling messages; convert diesel vehicles to bio -diesel;
Evaluate opportunities to increase pump efficiency in water and
wastewater systems; recover wastewater treatment methane for energy
production;
10. Increase recycling rates in City operations and in the community;
11. Maintain healthy urban forests; promote tree planting to increase shading
and to absorb CO2; and
12. Help educate the public, schools, other jurisdictions, professional
associations, business and industry about reducing global warming
pollution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS:
1. That the City Council of the City of Burlingame endorses the U.S. Mayors Climate
Protection Agreement as amended by the 73`d amrual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting and
urges councils and mayors from around the nation to join this effort.
2. The City of Burlingame will work in conjunction with ICLEI Local Govermnents for
Sustainability and other appropriate organizations to track progress and implementation of the
U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement as amended by the 7')' amoral U.S. Conference of
Mayors meeting.
3. The City of Burlingame will work as both an organization and a community to seek
ways to contribute to this progress. OJ—
MAYOk
I, MARY ELLEN KEARNEY, Deputy City Clerk of the City of Burlingame, do hereby certify
that the foregoing resolution was introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council held on the
20th day of August 2007, and was adopted thereafter by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: sAYLOCK, COHEN, KEIGHBAN, . NAGEL, O'MARONY
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NONE
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: NONE
CITY CLERK
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