City of Piedmont
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: February 21, 2023
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Sara Lillevand, City Administrator
SUBJECT: Consideration of the Establishment of a Temporary Climate Action Advisory Committee
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the attached resolution establishing a temporary Climate Action Advisory Committee.
BACKGROUND
The City of Piedmont has been working to address global climate change for more than a decade.
In 2010, City Council adopted the initial Piedmont Climate Action Plan (CAP), and in March 2018, the Council adopted the Piedmont CAP 2.0 – which includes the goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 40% below 2005 levels by 2030 and 80% below 2005 levels by 2050. The GHG emission reduction targets set forth in the CAP 2.0 were consistent with the state’s direction to local governments in the Senate Bill 32 at the time of its adoption.
However, in September 2018, California set two new bold climate goals for 2045:
• Senate Bill 100, which set a target of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045; and • Executive Order B-55-18, which set a new statewide goal to achieve carbon neutrality no later than 2045 and achieve and maintain net negative emissions thereafter. Additionally, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change – states we must reduce global emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This is aligned with the targets set forth by the Biden Administration, which aim to achieve a 50-52% reduction in GHG emissions from 2005 levels by 2030.
The CAP 2.0 GHG emission reduction goals are therefore no longer aligned with current state, federal, and global targets. Accordingly, City staff plan to bring updated GHG emission reduction targets to the Council for consideration as an amendment to the CAP 2.0 to reflect and align with the latest science, policy, and emission reductions necessary to meet the speed and magnitude of climate change.
In 2021 and 2022, City staff provided updates on the implementation of the Climate Action Plan to the Council. While significant progress has been achieved, it is staff’s assessment that Piedmont is not presently on track to meet our current GHG emission reduction goals let alone updated state, federal and global targets. In order to more broadly engage the community as well as to tap into expertise and volunteer energies, staff recommends the formation of a Climate Action Advisory Body to assist with development of implementation projects and strategies to meet our GHG emission reduction goals.
Climate Action Advisory Committee
Staff recommends the formation of a Council appointed Climate Action Advisory Committee (CAAC) to primarily advise on and help guide the development and implementation of an Existing Building Electrification Strategy, which will include an emphasis on tools and roadmaps to help make it easier for residents to shift their natural gas use in buildings toward clean, highly efficient all-electric alternatives. Roughly half of Piedmont’s in-territory GHG emissions come from residential building energy use, with natural gas use accounting for nearly all the emissions from this sector. The Existing Building Electrification Strategy will delineate an implementable, phased approach including specific actions, policies, funding mechanisms, and a tentative timeline to work with the community to transition Piedmont’s existing building stock off natural gas as soon as possible in an equitable manner. In addition, the CAAC will assist staff in evaluating grants or programs that the City may consider participating in which promote GHG emission reductions.
The proposed committee would be in place until the submission of a draft Existing Building Electrification Strategy is presented to the City Council. At the time, should the Council wish, the committee could be extended to provide guidance to staff and the Council on future Climate Action projects such as the development of draft Reach Codes for the 2025 Statewide Code Cycle and the development of a draft Zero Emissions Transportation Strategy which would provide a roadmap for the community for transitioning to a carbon-free multimodal transportation network for all ages and abilities. Below is a proposed schedule for the formation and deliverables of the CAAC.
The Piedmont CAAC is proposed to consist of five voting members. The CAAC would be advisory to staff and Council. The CAAC will assist staff in the development of documents related to the Existing Building Electrification Strategy. The CAAC could also be called upon to advise on potential GHG emission reduction projects or grants that arise as determined by the Sustainability Program Manager. Meetings of the CAAC will serve to engage, educate, and give the public opportunities give their input and feedback.
It is expected that the CAAC will meet as needed until the draft Existing Building Electrification Strategy is presented to the Council. Should the Council establish the CAAC, recruitment will take place at the same time as the annual recruitment of Commissions and Committees. This would allow the CAAC to begin its work in early April.
Proposed Schedule
February 2023
• Council approves the establishment of the Climate Action Advisory Committee; and • Recruitment begins.
Agenda Report Page 2
March 2023
• Council appoint Advisory Committee members.
April 2023
• Advisory Committee conducts introductory meeting where staff reviews the Committee’s timeline, responsibilities, and expectations.
May through November 2023
• The Advisory Committee meets as necessary to provide advice and feedback on draft Existing Building Electrification Strategy measures and implementation timeline developed by staff.
Winter 2024
• Staff presents draft Existing Building Electrification Strategy to Council for adoption.
By: Alyssa Dykman, Sustainability Program Manager
Agenda Report Page 3
Resolution No. _________
ESTABLISHING A CLIMATE ACTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, the Piedmont City Council is concerned about both the local and the world climate crisis and wishes to develop initiatives to inspire, empower, and educate its citizens to create a community that promotes environmental sustainability; and WHEREAS, the City of Piedmont has demonstrated climate leadership to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with the adoption of its first Climate Action Plan in 2010, and an updated Climate Action Plan in 2018; and
WHEREAS, the Climate Action Plan provides a roadmap for Piedmont to achieve GHG emission reductions and be an engaged community that promotes environmental stewardship, economic vitality, and social equity to create a sustainable and thriving future for all; and WHEREAS, the City of Piedmont wishes to engage Piedmont’s highly informed and involved community members in the implementation process of its Climate Action Plan and related sustainability programs to ensure that it successfully reduces GHG emissions and maintains its sense of community;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Piedmont does hereby resolve, declare, determine, and order as follows:
SECTION 1. The Climate Action Advisory Committee is hereby established as a temporary advisory committee of the City of Piedmont.
SECTION 2. The efforts of the Climate Action Advisory Committee shall be charged with the following duties:
1. Assist Staff in the development of a draft Existing Building Electrification Strategy.
2. Assist Staff in evaluating potential grants or programs that the City may consider participating in, which promote GHG emission reductions.
3. Facilitate and receive public comment on the initiatives to be included in the draft Existing Building Electrification Strategy and include a summary in the transmission of the draft Existing Building Electrification Strategy update to the City Council.
SECTION 3. The Climate Action Advisory Committee shall be comprised of five voting members, appointed by the City Council, each of whom shall be residents of Piedmont. The Committee shall appoint one member to serve as Committee Chair and one member to serve as Vice Chair.
SECTION 4. The Climate Action Advisory Committee shall meet on an as-needed basis.
SECTION 5. The term of the Climate Action Advisory Committee shall extend from the date of establishment to the receipt of a draft Existing Building Electrification Strategy document by the City Council.
Attachment A Agenda Report Page 4
SECTION 6. The Climate Action Advisory Committee shall comply with the Ralph M.
Brown Act (Government Code §54950 et seq.) including, but not limited to notice, agenda posting, and public participation requirements.
SECTION 7. The Climate Action Advisory Committee is an advisory body to the City Council and is not an independent decision-making body. All of its recommendations are subject to approval of the City Council.
[END OF RESOLUTION]
Attachment A Agenda Report Page 5
Item #5 –Formation of a Temporary Climate Action Advisory Committee Correspondence Received Before 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21st City Council:
Staff is to be credited for bringing forward an electrification strategy for our community. As staff acknowledges, the City’s GHG reduction targets are out of sync with those of the state. But more importantly, staff, in a previous report, acknowledged that current goals and policies of CAP 2.0 are insufficient to meet our GHG reduction goals and that new policies are needed.
Below is the summary statement from the July, 2022 update on CAP 2.0 implementation:
“Development of an Existing Buildings Electrification Strategy While evaluating the current Reach Code and Home Energy Assessment Policy, it is evident additional building electrification policy options will need to be analyzed to scale up Piedmont’s electrification efforts to reduce carbon emissions. This may include requirements for retrofitting appliances at time of equipment replacement, retrofits or upgrades at time of major renovation, and building performance standards. At a higher level, the City should consider developing an existing buildings electrification strategy to encapsulate said policy options and delineate a detailed, actionable plan for transitioning Piedmont towards a fossil fuel-free future. The purpose of an existing buildings electrification strategy would be to analyze the existing building stock of the City, with a focus on low-rise residential, and identify a pathway for an equitable transition to all-electric buildings. The strategy would be based on an in-depth analysis of Piedmont’s building stock and a building-by-building energy model that can be used to assess the likely scale of fuel switching processes and their associated costs. This strategy would be in line with the CAP 2.0 Buildings and Energy Objectives-1, 2, 4, and 5. The City of Berkeley spearheaded the development of an Existing Buildings Electrification Strategy in 2021. Nearby cities of Oakland and Alameda are currently working on the development of a strategy and are anticipated for completion by 2023. “
https://piedmont.ca.gov/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=18746216 The figure below is taken from that report, showing a significant slowing of the city’s GHG reduction since 2005. It shows that even our outdated targets are unlikely to be reached.
So an electrification strategy is urgently needed and, as staff has noted, other cities have adopted such strategies so much of the groundwork is complete.
I recommend that you revise the resolution to make the CAAC permanent. In its CAP 2.0 update, staff also noted:
“Ultimately, in order for Piedmont to make meaningful progress toward meeting the CAP 2.0 goals, the broader community, including all residents of Piedmont, will need to make significant reductions in natural gas use in their homes, vehicles, and daily lives. These reductions will be centered on decarbonization efforts by transitioning residents from gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles and shifting from natural gas to electric appliances in their homes.
Decarbonization efforts will need to be paired with significant education, outreach, and awareness building efforts, along with financial and human resources. Additionally, equitable adaptation efforts must be made that recognize the historical harms and structural and institutional systems that are the root causes of the social and economic inequities climate change exacerbates.”
The efforts called for by staff requires a full-time sustainability commission and the City could better engage the community on this electrification strategy and other sustainability objectives by convening a permanent committee.
Garrett Keating