Item B: Community Climate and Energy Action Plan Update

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CE–ICAP* ITY OF UGENE NTERNAL LIMATE CTION LAN l A third way to evaluate GHG emissions is by their “scope. According to the ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, Local Government Operations Protocol, direct Scope 1 includes all GHG emissions from energy consumption, such as vehicle fuels and natural gas in buildings, excluding CO2 emissions from biomass combustion; indirect Scope 2 includes GHG emissions related to the consumption of electricity, steam, heating, or cooling energy purchased from a third party or utility; Scope 3 includes all other indirect emissions not covered in Scope 2, for instance employee commuting and GHG emissions embedded in materials and services purchased by the City. The Council’s adopted goal of carbon neutrality for City operations by 2020 focuses on Scope 1 and 2 emissions only. Scope 3 emissions are not currently included in the Council’s goal, due to the lack of accepted protocol for quantifying these emissions. However, the inventory does include some preliminary estimates of GHG emissions from Scope 3 activities - including employee commuting, waste disposal and a portion of the City’s purchasing activity. Scope 3 emissions appear to be much larger than Scope 1 and 2 emissions combined, if embedded emissions in goods and services purchased by the City are included. The full Inventory Report can be accessed on the web at the following address: http://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_308202_0_0_18/City_Operations_GHG_Inventory.pdf 2.Adaptation to Climate Change The focus of this Action Plan is mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions to avoid future climate impacts, yet climate change is already affecting our lives in Eugene. For example, EWEB has reduced predictions for their own hydroelectric generation based on reduced stream flow and local vineyards are finding that their vines are no longer as suitable for local growing conditions. Even if CO2 emissions were to stabilize immediately, high CO2 concentrations already in the atmosphere will persist for years. In addition to reducing our emissions to prevent more dire consequences in the future, then, it is necessary to adapt to those changes that are happening now. In early March 2009 Resource Innovations, a sustainability-focused research organization at the University of Oregon, in collaboration with the US Forest Service and the National Center for Preparing for Climate Change in the Upper Conservation Science & Policy, released a report titled Willamette River Basin of Western Oregon . This report highlights the likely impacts of climate change on the Upper Willamette River Basin based on models used by the IPCC adjusted for local conditions. While no models can predict exactly how climatic conditions may change, these recent findings suggest the following potential impacts here in the Upper Willamette Basin: Increased annual average temperatures of 2 to 4° F and increased average summer temperatures of 4 to 6° F by around 2040; 9 *Plan adopted as a framework; subject to additional edits. Plan may be modified pending implementation.