Title
Adopting the Building Chapter of the Saint Paul Climate Action Plan, entitled Saint Paul’s Path to Carbon Neutrality: Building Sector
Body
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council and Mayor Melvin Carter are dedicated to making Saint Paul one of the most resilient cities in the United States and to protecting our city’s air, water, and urban landscape; and
WHEREAS, the international Compact of Mayors, signed by Mayor Chris Coleman, endorsed by the Saint Paul City Council, and reaffirmed by Mayor Melvin Carter, requires the City of Saint Paul to undertake a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions inventory of the city and adopt a Climate Action Plan; and
WHEREAS, the greenhouse gas inventory conducted in 2016 for the year 2015 documented that over 50% of emissions in Saint Paul are generated by the building sector; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul participated in the Xcel Energy Partners in Energy program to develop and implement the building chapter of the Saint Paul Climate Action Plan entitled, Saint Paul’s Path to Carbon Neutrality: Buildings Sector, and
WHEREAS, a technical advisory workgroup was assembled to develop a vision and identify near-term strategies; and
WHEREAS, the near-term strategies in the Plan were linked to the following guiding themes of
importance to the City:
• Prioritize conservation, energy efficiency, and energy recovery
• Prioritize renewable-based distributed generation and energy storage
• Ensure solutions and opportunities are equitable, particularly in communities and households of color
• Commit to reducing the energy burden on low- to moderate-income residents
• Focus on efforts that result in co-benefits (e.g. employment, economic development, other environmental benefits such as water conservation and improved air quality)
• Showcase best practices and innovative solutions; and
WHEREAS, the following priorities are named in the Plan:
• Inspire a culture of energy stewardship
• Reduce resident energy burden
• Engage major institutions on climate leadership
• Engage the multifamily and large commercial sector
• Inspire through municipal leadership; and
WHEREAS, the Plan calls for the building sector in Saint Paul to be carbon neutral by 2050 and to achieve carbon neutrality in municipal building operations by 2030; and
WHEREAS, the Plan includes specific near-term strategies within each of the priority areas to help Saint Paul meet the carbon neutrality goals; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul will work with Xcel Energy and its other partners to implement the strategies identified in the Plan, beginning with outreach efforts designed to triple the current annual savings from residential energy efficiency measures; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, the City of Saint Paul adopts the building chapter of the Saint Paul Climate Action Plan entitled, Saint Paul’s Path to Carbon Neutrality: Building Sector, and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council affirms Mayor Carter’s commitment to direct the appropriate city staff to engage in the work outlined in the Plan.