Mankato Area Environmentalists

City of Mankato Strategic Plan for Sustainability

RESOLUTION ENDORSING THE U.S. MAYORS CLIMATE PROTECTION AGREEMENT 
AND ADOPTING CITY OF MANKATO STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SUSTAINABILITY

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously adopted strong policy resolutions calling for cities, communities and the federal government to take actions to reduce global warming pollution; and

WHEREAS, the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the international community’s most respected assemblage of scientists, has found that climate disruption is a reality and that human activities are largely responsible for increasing concentrations of global warming pollution; and

WHEREAS, recent, well-documented impacts of climate disruption include average global sea level increases of four to eight inches during the 20th century; a 40 percent decline in Arctic sea-ice thickness; and nine of the ten hottest years on record occurring in the past decade; and

WHEREAS, climate disruption of the magnitude now predicted by the scientific community will cause extremely costly disruption of human and natural systems throughout the world including: increased risk of floods or droughts; sea level rises that interact with coastal storms to erode beaches, inundate land, and damage structures; more frequent and extreme heat waves; more frequent and greater concentrations of smog; and

WHEREAS, on February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to address climate disruption, went into effect in the 141 countries that have ratified it to date; 38 of those countries are now legally required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on average 5.2 percent below 1990 levels by 2012; and

WHEREAS, the United States of America, with less than five percent of the world’s population, is responsible for producing approximately 25 percent of the world’s global warming pollutants; and

WHEREAS, the Kyoto Protocol emissions reduction target for the U.S. would have been 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012; and

WHEREAS, many leading US companies that have adopted greenhouse gas reduction programs to demonstrate corporate social responsibility have also publicly expressed preference for the US to adopt precise and mandatory emissions targets and timetables as a means by which to remain competitive in the international marketplace, to mitigate financial risk and to promote sound investment decisions; and

WHEREAS, state and local governments throughout the United States are adopting emission reduction targets and programs and that this leadership is bipartisan, coming from Republican and Democratic governors and mayors alike; and

WHEREAS, many cities throughout the nation, both large and small, are reducing global warming pollutants through programs that provide economic and quality of life benefits such as reduced energy bills, green space preservation, air quality improvements, reduced traffic congestion, improved transportation choices, and economic development and job creation through energy conservation and new energy technologies; and

WHEREAS, mayors from around the nation have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement which, as amended at the 73rd Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting, is attached as an Exhibit to this resolution. 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors endorses the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement as amended by the 73rd annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting and attached as Exhibit “A” and urges mayors from around the nation to join this effort.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, The U.S. Conference of Mayors will work in conjunction with ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and other appropriate organizations to track progress and implementation of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement as amended by the 73rd annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting.

BE IT FURTHERMORE RESOLVED, that the Mankato City Council adopts the Sustainability Strategic Plan as attached in Exhibit “B” and directs the City Manager to implement the goals and strategies and provide updates to the City Council regarding implementation and effectuation. 

This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its passage and without publication.

Adopted this 12th day of May, 2008.

John Brady, Mayor

Cheryl Lindquist, City Clerk

Exhibit “B”

The components of the Strategic Plan for Sustainability are contained under three broad interrelated categories – Organizational, Public Policy, and Community. 

Organizational – What can the City of Mankato organization do as an energy and resource consumer to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce reliance on nonrenewable energy sources?

Public Policy – As a local unit of government, what can Mankato do as policy initiatives to promote carbon reduction and reduce reliance on nonrenewable energy sources?

Community – How can the City encourage energy efficiency/carbon reduction along with sustainability for citizens?

About MAE

MAE is a grassroots 501(c)6 organization funded by grants and donations from friends and members