Item B: Community Climate and Energy Action Plan Update

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CE–ICAP* ITY OF UGENE NTERNAL LIMATE CTION LAN Introduction a. Climate Change and a Plan for Action The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1989 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In 2007 the IPCC published a report pointing to human activities as the primary contributor to climate change. Climate change poses present and growing risks to Eugene and the world from increasingly extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, shifts in plant and animal populations and, especially here in the hydro-dependent Northwest, increasing energy prices. These fundamental changes have the potential to impact all facets of life in our community, but there are many options to mitigate their effects. Planning to adapt to the impacts of existing climate change effects can help reduce near-term consequences. Action to reduce our emissions will reduce the future impact on our community, our local economy and the natural beauty of Eugene. Upon the recommendation of the City of Eugene Sustainability Commission, the City Council directed that all City-owned facilities and City operations be “carbon neutral” (i.e., reduce net carbon emissions to zero or, if that is not possible, cancel all remaining emissions through the funding of approved local offset mechanisms or the purchase of approved offsets) by 2020. This Action Plan presents steps which can be taken to help reach that goal. An inventory was completed in order to understand the source and quantity of our operational emissions and guide development of this plan. Based on the completed inventory, the Internal Climate Action Plan team worked over the course of eight months to gather, quantify and prioritize actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the daily operations of the City of Eugene. This plan outlines actions suggested for implementation over the course of the next 10 years. These actions are prioritized into three timeframes: near-term, (present to 2012), mid-term (2012 to 2016) and far-term (2016 to 2020) based primarily on our assumptions about the availability of technology and funding. The interim emissions reductions goals for each timeframe are based on the expected emissions reductions for that set of actions and the best assumptions we can make about other factors that may affect our progress. This plan is intended to guide continued climate action to reduce GHG emissions and fossil fuel use in our internal operations. It is also intended to help prepare the organization to seize opportunities, whether in funding or advancing technology, when they arise. Since no plan can foresee all eventualities in a rapidly changing world, the recommended actions included are not set in stone. This plan is intended to be the first in a series of action plans as we continually update and adjust to the changing realities of economics, technology, government policies and our ecosystems. This Internal Climate Action Plan outlines a set of workable strategies and demonstrates the commitment to climate action within city operations. Robust climate action at the operational level can 6 *Plan adopted as a framework; subject to additional edits. Plan may be modified pending implementation.