RESOLUTION NO. RES- 2020- 002
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA ENDORSING THE
DECLARATION OF A CLIMATE EMERGENCY AND IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY
MOBILIZATION TO RESTORE A SAFE CLIMATE
WHEREAS, human activities have warmed the Earth to a point that threatens climate stability, andclimatechangehasalreadysetin motioncatastrophicchangesto theEarth's systems, includingfreshwaterscarcityanddroughts, floods, extremeweathereventsand increasedheat, wildfires, acceleratingicemasslossthatwill resultin sea -levelrise, andspecies extinction; and
WHEREAS, thecurrentpaceandscaleof nationalclimateactionis not sufficientto avert substantialdamageto the economy, environment, andhuman health over the coming decades; and
WHEREAS, the October 8, 2018, the special report of the United Nations IntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange (IPCC) projectedthatcurtailingwarmingto 1.5°C to reducethe risks to health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security, economic growthandplantandanimallife thiscentury, will requireanunprecedentedtransformationof everysectorof theglobaleconomyoverthenext 12years; and
WHEREAS, on November 23, 2018, the Federal Government issued the Fourth National ClimateAssessmentdetailingthemassivethreatthatclimatechangeposesto theAmerican economyandunderscoringtheneedforimmediateclimateemergencyactionatall levelsof government; and
WHEREAS, critical tippingpointsmustbeavoided, astheywill havecascadingfeedback - effectsthatarepredictedto causeanincreasinglyuncontrollableclimateemergencythatincludes adevastatingburdento theglobaleconomy, andwithcurrentgreenhousegas (GHG) emission levelsthesetippingpointscouldbepassedassoonas2050; and
WHEREAS, restoringa safeandstableclimaterequiresanemergencymobilizationto reachzerogreenhousegasemissionsacrossallsectors, torapidlyandsafelydrawdownor remove all the excesscarbon from the atmosphere, and to implement measuresto protect all peopleandspecies; and
WHEREAS, ajusttransitionawayfromfossilfuelsrequiresthedevelopmentof a frameworkfor afair shift to aneconomythatis ecologicallysustainable, equitable, andjust for all its members; and
WHEREAS, marginalized communities worldwide — including people of color, immigrants, indigenouscommunities, low-incomepeople, thosewith disabilities, andthe unhoused— arealreadydisproportionatelyaffectedby climatechangeandmustbenefitfroma just transitionto asustainableandequitableeconomy; and
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Attachment 2
WHEREAS, on September 10, 2018, the State of California' s Governor Brown issued an executiveorderestablishinga2045statewidetargetto achievecarbonneutrality, andonthe sameday, SenateBill 100waspassed, which setsa 100% clean electricity goal for the Stateby 2045; and
WHEREAS, California' s Fourth Climate Change Assessment warned that extreme weather and climate -related eventsin the United Statesareworsening, predicting increased droughtcyclesandheatwavesin thewesternU.S. with aresultingthree -fold increasein intensityandmagnitudeof wildfires, declinedwatersupplyandsnowpack, increasedflooding, impactedagriculture, aswell assubstantialdamagesto theU.S. economyandhumanhealth, unless GHG emissions are curbed; and
WHEREAS, the California Legislature has set clear climate objectives for the next decade, including a 40% reduction in 1990 level GHG emissions by 2030; 50% renewable energy; 50% reductionin petroleumusein vehiclesand,adoublingof energyefficiencysavings in existing buildings; and
WHEREAS, the current scaleand rate of expansionof local government action hasnot resultedin thenecessaryreductionsin globalgreenhousegasemissionstoenableusto limit globaltemperatureincreasetowellbelow2°C abovepre -industriallevelsandnomorethan
1.5°C asoutlined in the 2016 Paris Climate Accord and recommendedby the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC); and
WHEREAS, manyof themajorclimatechangedrivers - energygeneration, fuel standards, consumptionpatterns, productdesignandspecificationandlarge-scaleinfrastructure investments — aredispersedacrossboththeprivateandpublicsectorandarecontrolledatscales larger than local and regional governments; and
WHEREAS, in order to avoid irreversible, catastrophic climate change impacts, we cannotonlyfocusonreducingemissionsbutmustalsodramaticallyincreaseandenable meaningful carbon sequestrationwhile preparing communities now for significant climate impacts;
WHEREAS, SonomaCountyhasalreadybegunto experienceextremeclimate -related events, includingsixyearsof drought, theOctober2017NorthernCaliforniawildfires, which causedmorethan $9.4 billion in damageandkilled forty-four people, andtheFebruary2019 WinterStormsandFloodingthatcausedover $150million in damagesandresultedin the declarationof alocal healthemergencydueto the scaleof householdhazardouswastescattered alongwaterways, roadsidesandonpublicandprivatepropertiesafterflooding, andtheOctober 2019 Kincaide Fire, which burned 77,758 acres; and
WHEREAS, SonomaCountypublic agencieshavetakenanumberof importantactions to reduceGHGemissionsandenhancequalityof life in ourcommunity, includinglong-term commitmentstopreservingover100,000acresof bothagriculturalandopenspacelands; setting andmeetinga goalto delivercarbonfreewater; offeringcosteffectiveprogramsto reduce Reso. No. RES- 2020- 002
energyuseandconservewater; andestablishingSonomaCleanPower, aregionalcommunity choice energyprovider offering the first 100% local renewable power option in California; and WHEREAS, in February2019, theCity Councildesignatedimplementationof theCity's Climate Action Plan asa Tier One Council priority; and
WHEREAS, the Climate Action Subcommittee was formed in 2019 to provide guidance andoversightof theimplementationof theCity'sMunicipalClimateAction Planandthe CommunityClimateActionPlanwithagoalof reducingthelocalgreenhousegasemissionsand ensuringlong -tern sustainabilityandresiliencefrom climatechangeandits effects; and WHEREAS, following theformationof theClimateAction Subcommittee, anAll - ElectricReachCodewasadoptedby theCouncilandtheEvergreenandZeroWasteinitiatives will bepresentedtheCouncilforinformationandactionrespectively, in Januaryof 2020; and WHEREAS, City staff continueto monitorprogresstowardgreenhousegasreduction measuresasindicatedin theCity' sClimateAction Planreportoutto theCouncilandmembers of the public.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Santa Rosadeclaresthataclimateemergencythreatenshumanityandthenaturalandbuilt environments.
BE IT FURTHERRESOLVED, thattheCity of SantaRosajoins anationwidecall for a just transitionawayfrom fossil fuelsandanurgentcollaborativeclimatemobilizationeffort focusedonenactingpoliciesthatdramaticallyreduceheat -trappingemissions, andrapidly catalyzingamobilizationatall levelsof governmentto restorea safeclimate.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that addressing climate change underscores everything thatwedo, andtheCity remainscommittedto takingactionto mitigate, drawdown, andtake adaptivemeasures, with thegoalof reachingcarbonneutralityby 2030.
BE IT FURTHERRESOLVED, thattheCity commitsto developingandregularly updatingapublic facingtrackerof progresstowardits climategoals.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an urgent global climate mobilization effort to reverseglobalwarmingisneededtoachievezeronetemissionsasquicklyaspossibleandthat full communityparticipation, inclusionandsupportisintegralto oureffortsto safelydrawdown carbonfrom the atmosphereand accelerateadaptationandresilience strategiesin preparation for intensifying climate impacts.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Council acknowledgesthat successfulclimate action andajusttransitionatscalerequiresthatweworkbothwithinandoutsideof ourregional boundariesandacrosssectorsto acceleratethenecessarysystemschangerequiredto addressthe climate emergency.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of SantaRosacommits to contributing to the developmentof a countywide 2030 Climate Emergency Mobilization Strategythat focuseson identifying key local actions — including a ten- year Emergency Policy Package prioritizing a short list of the most impactful local policies that will drive systemschangeand identify the key areas for state level advocacy.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of SantaRosa commits to identifying a Climate EmergencyMobilization Liaison to drive this effort in our jurisdiction, and any financial resourcesto support participation in the RCPA coalition of local governmentsmobilizing regional climate action will be determinedfollowing Council goal setting and the City' sbudget process.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council supports the development and implementation of the 2030 Climate Emergency Mobilization Strategy, in alignment with statewideclimate goals, and directs staff to work with the RCPA and coalition membersto integrateclimate changeconsiderationsinto all policies.
IN COUNCIL DULY PASSED this 14th day of January, 2020.
AYES: ( 7) Mayor Schwedhelm, Vice Mayor Fleming, Council Members Dowd, Olivares, Rogers, Sawyer, Tibbetts
NOES: ( 0)
ABSENT: ( 0)
ABSTAIN: ( 0)
ATTEST: Dna W.,ru, 2020) APPROVED: , ` '
Acting City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Sue Gallagher ( Feb U, 2020)
City Attorney
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