Climate Action Plan: New Advisory Committee Formation
Climate Change
Volunteers will be needed if Council approves plans to appoint a committee to advise on Piedmont’s Climate Action Plan for 2030. The matter will be considered at the Tuesday, January 17, 2017, Council meeting. The full staff report can be read here.
Public Notice ______________________
Piedmont City Council will be considering two climate-related items at their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers. Council will receive a report on Piedmont’s 2015 Greenhouse Gas Inventory and will vote to establish a temporary, advisory task force to assist staff in the development of a 2030 Climate Action Plan. We invite you to attend the hearing to express support for either of these items. You may view the City Council agenda for Tuesday’s meeting here http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/html/govern/agendas/2017-01-17.pdf. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Emily – Emily Alvarez, LEED AP BD+C
Assistant Planner | City of Piedmont
120 Vista Avenue | Piedmont, CA 94611
T: (510) 420-3094 | F: (320) 223-0537
E: ealvarez@ci.piedmont.ca.us
As in 2014, Piedmont has reduced its GHG by 19%. The annual goal is 15% so that sounds like we’re on track to hit the 2020 target. Staff did acknowledge that this reduction is probably temporary – residential natural gas usage was significantly lower in 2014 and 2015 due to warm winter months and staff attributes 80% of our annual GHG reduction to this factor. Accounting for this, true, permanent GHG reduction in Piedmont is probably 5%. Next year’s GHG inventory should be telling – heating days for December 2016 exceed 2014 and 2015 combined – so natural gas usage should return to normal. Hopefully the Advisory Committee to be appointed by Council can account for this as it develops a new plan for 2030. Likewise, the Committee will have to account for the changes to Piedmont’s energy portfolio that come about as a result of the city recently joining the East Bay Energy Coalition. Setting proper policies and targets with these two unknowns should make the Committee’s work harder.