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Committing to advocating for the renewable, equitable, and locally-produced energy commitments expressed in the Climate Action and Resilience Plan, and to opposing proposed new fossil fuel energy infrastructure. (Laid over from October 23 and November 6)
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WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul recognizes that the climate crisis caused by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and other sources, is increasingly exposing Saint Paul residents to flooding, poor air quality, extreme heat events, loss of tree cover, economic hardship, and psychological stresses; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul City Council members unanimously passed a the iMatter “Climate Inheritance Resolution” in August of 2018 calling for “net zero greenhouse gas emissions from City buildings by 2030 and overall by 2050, 100% renewable electricity for the entire city by 2030, and 25% of electricity created within city limits” (RES 18-1361 version 1); and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul is also responding to the existential threat of climate change in 2019 by developing a Climate Action and Resilience Plan that commits the city to carbon neutrality by 2050 and reducing emissions from all sectors 50% by 2030; and
WHEREAS, the Climate Action and Resilience Plan projects that we will fall short of these goals, reaching only 44% reduction in emissions by 2030 and 73% by 2050 from business as usual (pgs. 48, 63), and energy production is a significant factor in Saint Paul’s ability to meet these goals; and
WHEREAS, energy production and policies affect Saint Paul’s ability to meet the goals identified in the Climate Action and Resilience Plan, especially “improving equitable access to clean electricity” (pg. 48, 63); and
WHEREAS, a 2017 report commissioned by the McKnight Foundation and written by Gridlab at the University of Minnesota shows that Minnesota could retire the state’s coal plants, build no additional natural gas plants, and still meet energy demands reliably through clean, renew...
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