To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Steve Potter, City Manager
Prepared By: Liz Habkirk, Assistant City Manager
TITLE:
Title
Resolution Declaring a Climate Emergency
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution declaring a climate emergency.
Body
DISCUSSION:
There is broad scientific consensus that climate changed caused by human activity represents a growing danger to human health, safety, and economic prosperity, and the window for long term climate preservation is rapidly closing. In response to climate change impacts, 195 countries signed the "Paris Agreement" acknowledging the threat of climate change and urgent need to combat it, agreeing to keep global mean temperature "well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels" and to pursue "efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius."
The City Council recently adopted combating Climate Change as one of its priority areas and has recognized the important role that governments, including local governments, must play in leading these efforts.
Although there has been a focus on climate change issues in the past, the Council has recognized the urgency around actions related to combating climate change and the direct threat to the citizens of Napa. The Napa Valley has experienced dramatic adverse effects from climate change, including prolonged wildfire seasons, firestorms, rising temperatures, severe droughts, damage to property and infrastructure, and loss of life.
The proposed resolution would add the City of Napa to a growing list of communities committed to a goal of Net Zero Climate pollution by 2030, and support efforts that are currently underway in the drafting of the City's General Plan. This long range planning document will include a climate change and sustainability element, along with climate related goals throughout multiple elements. The draft Climate Change and Sustainability Element outlines goals and policies to combat clima...
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