U.S. Cities and U.S. Cities and Climate Change:Climate Change: Great Potential or Great Potential or Just Great PR?Just Great PR?

Kent E. Portney, Political Science DeptKent E. Portney, Political Science Dept

Prepared for Presentation to the Prepared for Presentation to the Tufts Climate Change Literacy ConferenceTufts Climate Change Literacy Conference

January 15, 2008 January 15, 2008

Environmental Zoning in Seattle

Eco-VillageCleveland

Brownfield redevelopment in Dallas

and Pittsburgh

Underground hazardous materialsstorage tankremoval inSan Jose

The Climate Change Programs and CitiesThe Climate Change Programs and Cities

International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)(ICLEI) Climate Protection Program http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=800http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=800

Cities for Climate Protection, U.S. Partners http://www.iclei.org/index.php?http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1118id=1118

The Clinton FoundationThe Clinton FoundationClimate Initiative http://www.clintonfoundation.org/cf-pgm-cci-home.htmhttp://www.clintonfoundation.org/cf-pgm-cci-home.htm

Working with the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group http://www.c40cities.org/

The U.S. Conference of MayorsThe U.S. Conference of MayorsClimate Protection Agreement – 772 mayor have signed to date http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/agreement.htmhttp://usmayors.org/climateprotection/agreement.htm

Climate Protection Center http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/about.htmhttp://usmayors.org/climateprotection/about.htm

"Smart Growth" Activities "Smart Growth" Activities

1. Eco-industrial park development1. Eco-industrial park development

2. Cluster or targeted economic development 2. Cluster or targeted economic development

3. Eco-village project or program3. Eco-village project or program

Land Use Planning Programs, Policies, and Land Use Planning Programs, Policies, and ZoningZoning

4. Comprehensive land use plan that includes 4. Comprehensive land use plan that includes environmental issuesenvironmental issues

5. Tax incentives for environmentally friendly 5. Tax incentives for environmentally friendly developmentdevelopment

6. Zoning used to delineate environmentally sensitive 6. Zoning used to delineate environmentally sensitive growth areasgrowth areas

The Elements of Cities’ Climate Change Policies

Transportation Planning Programs and PoliciesTransportation Planning Programs and Policies

7. Operation of public transit (buses and/or trains)7. Operation of public transit (buses and/or trains)

8. Limits on downtown parking spaces8. Limits on downtown parking spaces or free parking for or free parking for hybrid and alternatively fueled vehicleshybrid and alternatively fueled vehicles

9. Car pool lanes (diamond or HOV lanes)9. Car pool lanes (diamond or HOV lanes)

10. Alternatively fueled city vehicle program10. Alternatively fueled city vehicle program

11. Bicycle ridership program11. Bicycle ridership program

Pollution Prevention and Reduction EffortsPollution Prevention and Reduction Efforts

12. Air pollution reduction program (i.e. VOC 12. Air pollution reduction program (i.e. VOC

reduction)reduction)

Energy and Resource Conservation/Efficiency Energy and Resource Conservation/Efficiency Initiatives Initiatives

13. Green building program 13. Green building program

14. Renewable energy use by city government 14. Renewable energy use by city government

15. Energy conservation effort (other than Green 15. Energy conservation effort (other than Green

building program) building program)

16. Alternative energy offered to consumers (bio-diesel, 16. Alternative energy offered to consumers (bio-diesel, solar, wind, biogas, etc.) solar, wind, biogas, etc.)

So what are cities actually So what are cities actually doing?doing?

Exemplary City ProgramsExemplary City Programs Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan “Toward a Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan “Toward a

Sustainable Seattle” incorporates an assessment Sustainable Seattle” incorporates an assessment of each city government function’s impact on air of each city government function’s impact on air emissions, and sets specific annual goals for emissions, and sets specific annual goals for reductionsreductions

Exemplary City ProgramsExemplary City Programs Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan “Toward a

Sustainable Seattle” incorporates an assessment of each city government function’s impact on air emissions, and sets specific annual goals for reductions

The City of New York, as part of its PlaNYC, The City of New York, as part of its PlaNYC, has the most extensive green city building has the most extensive green city building program in the worldprogram in the world

Exemplary City ProgramsExemplary City Programs Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan “Toward a

Sustainable Seattle” incorporates an assessment of each city government function’s impact on air emissions, and sets specific annual goals for reductions

The City of New York, as part of its PlaNYC, has the most extensive green city building program in the world

Grand Rapids has invested in a bio-diesel Grand Rapids has invested in a bio-diesel facility that allows the city to collect used facility that allows the city to collect used cooking oil from restaurants, refine it in bulk, cooking oil from restaurants, refine it in bulk, and use it as fuel for all its diesel powered and use it as fuel for all its diesel powered machinerymachinery

Exemplary City ProgramsExemplary City ProgramsAustin Texas, which owns Austin Austin Texas, which owns Austin

Energy, operates a 200 wind turbine farm Energy, operates a 200 wind turbine farm in West Texas, and now generates 665 in West Texas, and now generates 665 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, million kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to power 55,000 Austin homesenough to power 55,000 Austin homes

Exemplary City ProgramsExemplary City ProgramsAustin Texas, which owns Austin

Energy, Inc., operates a 200 wind turbine farm in West Texas, and now generates 665 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to power 55,000 Austin homes

It provides a It provides a “ “greenchoice option” greenchoice option” for residential customers, for residential customers, guaranteeing the electric guaranteeing the electric rate for 10 years.rate for 10 years.

Exemplary City ProgramsExemplary City Programs Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) in Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) in

Boulder, CO, is a multi-government public-Boulder, CO, is a multi-government public-private partnership focused on pollution private partnership focused on pollution prevention, especially reduction in greenhouse prevention, especially reduction in greenhouse gas emissionsgas emissions

Works with small businesses to train Works with small businesses to train owners and employees on ways to reduce owners and employees on ways to reduce emissions, and certifies businesses that emissions, and certifies businesses that receive training and make changesreceive training and make changes

Impacts documented in Annual Reports http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/www/pace/http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/www/pace/

index.htmlindex.html

Other CitiesOther Cities• Many other cities are doing comparable

programs, including– ChicagoChicago -- Scottsdale-- Scottsdale– San FranciscoSan Francisco -- Chattanooga-- Chattanooga– AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque -- Portland OR-- Portland OR– Los AngelesLos Angeles -- Jacksonville-- Jacksonville– San JoseSan Jose -- Indianapolis-- Indianapolis– CambridgeCambridge -- Minneapolis-- Minneapolis– Many many others