Title
Requesting expanded community engagement and draft policy direction on climate action and resiliency.
Body
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council and Mayor Chris Coleman are dedicated to making Saint Paul one of the most sustainable cities in the United States and to protecting our city’s air, water and urban landscape; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Chris Coleman signed the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement in 2006 and has prioritized during his administration reducing energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; advancing clean and renewable energy; increasing energy efficiency and green development in residential and commercial buildings; increasing fuel efficiency and the use of clean fuels in municipal fleet vehicles; and working to create a sustainable transportation system and solid waste options; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul City Council (RES 15-2093) reaffirmed its commitment to reducing GHG emissions; joined the Compact of Mayors; and pledged to inventory GHG emissions, establish GHG emissions reduction targets, identify climate hazards, assess climate change vulnerabilities, and develop a climate action and resiliency plan; and
WHEREAS, the December 2016 greenhouse gas emissions inventory for Saint Paul found that there had been a 27% reduction of GHG since 2005 due primarily to the conversion of Xcel Energy’s coal burning power plant to natural gas and District Energy St. Paul’s conversion from fossil fuels to primarily wood waste and that 37% of all current emissions come from the transportation sector, 35% of emissions from the commercial building sector, and 17% of emissions from the residential building sector; and
WHEREAS, the City secured assistance from Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy program; established a technical advisory group that included Center for Energy and Environment, District Energy St. Paul, Energy Cents Coalition, Neighborhood Energy Connection, Saint Paul Port Authority, and the University of Minnesota’s Cen...
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