Title
Authorizing Mayor Carter’s Office to submit a McKnight Foundation Climate and Energy Program Grant proposal.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP) adopted in 2019 includes the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50% community-wide by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions in Saint Paul by 2050, while also making city operations carbon neutral by 2030; and
WHEREAS, the McKnight Foundation’s Midwest Climate and Energy Program aims to foster and support climate and energy leadership in the Midwest, making the region a model for the world by reducing energy-related greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul is determined to make significant progress toward the goals of the Climate Action and Resilience Plan and to better communicate that progress and the City’s work to the public; and
WHEREAS, The City of Saint Paul is beginning the process of creating a City Buildings Decarbonization Plan to identify strategies, priorities, and resources needed to meet the CARP goal in city operations; and
WHEREAS, The City of Saint Paul would like to create a climate action dashboard to be used as both an internal and external tracking and communications tool for the City’s climate action work; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul finds that the recent federal infrastructure law and the potential Build Back Better bill have created new opportunities for local governments to access federal resources to advance certain aspects of climate action; and
WHEREAS, the McKnight Foundation has invited the City of Saint Paul to apply for $150,000 for this purpose, in order to advance the goals of the City’s Draft Climate Action and Resilience Plan;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council authorizes Mayor Carter’s office to submit, on behalf of the City of Saint Paul, an application to the McKnight Foundation for $150,000 for the purposes outlined herein; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that if the grant funds are awarded, the City Council authorizes Mayor Carter’s office to enter into a grant agreement with the McKnight Foundation.