Miami, FL Adopting the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
Type: Resolution
Status: Adopted on 4/12/07
Source File: http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/LegistarWeb/Legistar.asp?action=3&mtKey=7936
Text:
File ID: 07-00492
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION ADOPTING THE UNITED STATES MAYORS' CLIMATE PROTECTION AGREEMENT, AS STATED HEREIN; ESTABLISHING SAID AGREEMENT AS "THE MIAMI CLIMATE PROTECTION AGREEMENT," BY WHICH THE CITY OF MIAMI WILL COMPLY WITH THE GOALS AS SET FORTH THEREIN.
WHEREAS, during the past five (5) years, the City of Miami ("City") has launched a comprehensive and aggressive environmental program to clean our streets, our waterways, brown fields, storm drains, and improve our air and water quality, thus reversing decades of environmental neglect; and
WHEREAS, in furtherance of this environmental program, Mayor Manuel A. Diaz ("Mayor") was one of the first United States Mayors to sign the Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement (the "Agreement") committing cities to take actions to reduce global warming pollution by striving to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor's commitment to join other mayors throughout the country (today 400 mayors representing over 58 million people have signed the Agreement), brought the issue of environmental policy to the forefront of South Florida priorities; and
WHEREAS, during the Mayor's 2006 State of the City Address, core steps for environmental policy were identified, increasing the level of focus on innovation, and developing a strong foundation for environmentalism; and
WHEREAS, the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, among 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 ("U.S."), 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 73rd Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting, reads:
The U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement :
(A) We urge the federal government 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 United States 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;
(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:
- (1) inventory global warming 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;
- (3) 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 Agreen tags, advocating for the development of renewable energy resources, recovering landfill methane for energy production, and supporting the use of waste to energy technology;
- (5) 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;
- (7) practice and promote sustainable building practices using the United States 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;
- (9) 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 carbon dioxide; and
- (12) help educate the public, schools, other jurisdictions, professional associations, business and industry about reducing global warming pollution;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA.
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The Miami City Commission adopts the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, as stated herein and establishes said agreement as "The Miami Climate Protection Agreement," by which the City will comply with the goals as set forth therein.
Section 3. The City will work in conjunction with ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, the U.S. Green Building Council, and other appropriate organizations to track progress and implementation of the Miami Climate Protection Agreement.
Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption and signature of the Mayor.