RESOLUTION R2022-___
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NAPA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, DECLARING A CLIMATE EMERGENCY WHEREAS, there is broad scientific consensus that climate change caused by human activity represents a growing danger to human health, safety, and economic prosperity, and that the window of opportunity for long term climate preservation is rapidly closing; and WHEREAS, 195 countries have signed the "Paris Agreement" acknowledging the threat of climate change and the urgent need to combat it, agreeing to keep global mean temperature "well below 2°c above pre-industrial levels" and to "pursue efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C;" and WHEREAS, the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, "Global Warming of 1.5°C," affirmed that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society, and further projected that the earth could reach and exceed this temperature threshold as soon as 2030, far earlier than previously anticipated; and WHEREAS, the 2018 US government report, "Fourth National Climate Assessment," detailed the massive threat to the American economy posed by climate change and underscored the need for immediate climate emergency action at all levels of government; and WHEREAS, California, Napa County and their residents, economy, and environment have already experienced dramatic adverse effects from climate change, including prolonged wildfire seasons, firestorms, rising temperatures, mudslides, severe droughts, property destruction, damage to infrastructure, and loss of life; and WHEREAS, climate breakdown, while endangering all people, disproportionately impacts the young and the most vulnerable, exacerbating existing social justice and other inequities; and WHEREAS, at their February 18, 2022 Council Workshop, the City Council has named Climate Change efforts as a priority for the next year; and WHEREAS, the City of Napa is currently updating the City’s General Plan, the long-range planning document which includes elements related to land use, transportation, climate change and sustainability, and natural resources all of which will support and direct the City’s response to the climate emergency and encourages public comments on the draft General Plan.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Napa as follows:
1. The City Council hereby finds that the facts set forth in the recitals to this ordinance are true and correct and establish the factual bases for adoption of this ordinance.
2. A climate emergency exists and it threatens our city, region, state, nation, and the natural world.
3. The scientific evidence indicates that an urgent global climate mobilization effort to reverse global warming is needed as quickly as possible towards net zero climate pollutants from public and private operations within the City by 2030.
4. The City Council has named climate change efforts as a Council Priority and commits to evaluating all planning and policy decisions through the lens of this pledge and the most current scientific evidence, and the Council directs the City Manager to use this same lens when evaluating and implementing both immediate and sustained actions in support of zero net emissions.
5. The City Manager is hereby directed to prepare the recommended update to the City’s General Plan, to be presented to the Planning Commission and City Council for review and adoption, to document climate goals and practices that support climate protection actions. As a parallel effort, through the City’s budget review and approval process, the City Manager is hereby directed to recommend available resources (to include budget and staff) necessary for creating specific implementation strategy documents to prioritize goals into actionable tasks and projects required to accomplish General Plan Goals.
6. The City Manager is hereby further directed to develop partnerships with community organizations, businesses, schools, and regional partnerships to educate, mobilize, expand, and accelerate local, regional and statewide support for comprehensive, immediate, and sustained action to achieve its goal of net zero climate pollution.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing resolution was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of the City of Napa at a regular meeting of said City Council held on the 5th day of April, 2022, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
ATTEST: ________________________
Tiffany Carranza
City Clerk
Approved as to form:
_________________________
Michael W. Barrett
City Attorney
R2022-___ Page 1 of 1 April 5, 2022
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