U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
What is it?
Climate disruption is an urgent threat to the environmental and economic health of our communities. Many cities, in this country and abroad, already have strong local policies and programs in place to reduce global warming pollution, but more action is needed at the local, state, and federal levels to meet the challenge.
On Feb. 16, 2005 the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement to address climate disruption, became law for 141 countries that have ratified it to date. On that day, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels launched the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement to advance the goals of the Kyoto Protocol through leadership and action. Two years later, the U. S. Conference of Mayors launched the Mayors Climate Protection Center to administer and track the agreement among the other activities. By Nov. 1, 2007, there were more than 710 signatories to the agreement. To Date there are 780 signatories representing over 70 million people.
Under the agreement, participating cities commit to taking the following actions:
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 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 reduction legislation that 1) includes
clear timetables and emission limits and 2) a flexible, market-based system of tradable allowances among emitting industries; andC. 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 “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.
5. Make energy efficiency a priority through building code improvements, retrofitting city 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 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.
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 CO2; and
12. Help educate the public, schools, other jurisdictions, professional associations, business and industry about reducing global warming pollution.
Who Is Involved?
Cities large and small (Los Angeles, 3.7 million to Milan MN. at 326) from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have signed the agreement. Counties are becoming involved as well. For some good examples of county level plans and actions see: King County, WA: www.metrokc.gov/globalwarming and Sonoma County, CA: www.climateprotectioncampaign.org/sonomaccp
In April and May 2007, mayors of 134 cities responded to a survey on climate protection efforts.1. In 72% of the cities responding, vehicles in city fleets run on alternative fuels and/or use hybrid- technology.
2. More than four in five of the survey cities now use renewable energy or plan to do so.
3. 97% are using more energy-efficient lighting in public buildings, streetlights, parks, traffic signals, and other applications, or plan to do so in the next year.
4. Nearly nine in ten of the cities require or anticipate requiring that new city buildings be energy efficient, healthy, and environmentally sound.
5. More than three in four of the cities are undertaking efforts to encourage the private sector to construct buildings that are energy efficient, healthy, and use sustainable building techniques.
6. Two-thirds of the cities have an individual in city government who is responsible on a full time or part time basis for climate protection activities.
7. More than nine of ten of the cities consider efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to be part of broader efforts to address public health concerns.
8. In nearly 3 in 4 of the cities the mayor has reached out to other mayors, elected officials, or other leaders to encourage them to sign on to the agreement or take action.
9. If the Energy and Environmental Block Grant bill now pending in Congress is enacted, half of the cities will use the funds to improve community energy efficiency….Instituting and/or encouraging green building practices leads the list of activities for which resources are currently not available.
How Can I Participate?
For more information or to sign on to the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement contact:
U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Center
1620 I Street, NW
Washington. DC 20006
Phone: (202) 861-6782
Fax: (202)429-0422
Email: brosenberg@usmayors.org