DEPARTMENT: Office of Sustainability
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Douglas R. Melnick, AICP, ISSP-SA, CNU-A
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All
SUBJECT: A briefing on the 2019 Greenhouse Gas Inventory and an update on the implementation of the SA Climate Ready Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
SUMMARY:
The SA Climate Ready Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) was approved by City Council on October 17, 2019 and serves as a pathway to meeting the City’s commitments to climate action as outlined in City Council’s resolution of support for the Paris Climate Agreement on June 22, 2017. The Office of Sustainability and several partners have initiated many elements of the CAAP in 2020 and this briefing will provide the results of the 2019 Greenhouse Gas Inventory, an overview of the Cost-benefit Analysis of Key Climate Strategies and 2019 Municipal Energy Benchmarking Reports, and an overview of current strategies and priorities related to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On June 22, 2017, City Council passed Resolution No. 2017-06-22-0031R in support of the Paris Climate Agreement; directing city staff to develop a plan to help San Antonio meet the objectives of this agreement. On October 17, 2019, City Council adopted the CAAP by Ordinance 2019-10-17-0840.
The CAAP identifies twenty-eight (28) community mitigation, thirteen (13) municipal mitigation, and forty-five (45) adaptation strategies and sets the target of net carbon neutrality by 2050.
SA Climate Ready focuses on:
• Promoting equity and environmental and climate justice;
• Reducing emissions and improving air quality and public health outcomes;
• Reducing unnecessary energy consumption, lowering energy bills and saving money for residents, businesses and institutions;
• Increasing economic competitiveness and access to job opportunities; and
• Building community resilience to current and future climate impacts, including extreme weather events.
The 2019 Greenhouse Gas Inventory provides the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions overview for San Antonio’s community and municipal sectors including Energy, Buildings, Transportation, Solid Waste, and Water and Wastewater Resources. This inventory shows our GHG trend when compared to the 2016 inventory that serves as San Antonio’s baseline year for our 2050 carbon neutrality target.
In 2020, the Office of Sustainability completed two research documents, the 2019 Municipal Building Energy Benchmarking Report and the Cost-Benefit Analysis of Key Climate Ready Strategies. The Benchmarking report sets an example of transparency and reporting of energy usage, while the Cost-Benefit Analysis considers several climate programs and their impact on the community through the lens of the triple bottom line, considering economic, social, and environmental benefits over 30 years.
ISSUE:
As per the SA Climate Ready Plan, the Office of Sustainability will:
• Provide annual updates on implementation and progress
• Complete a full GHG inventory assessment every two years
As implementation is the key to the success of the CAAP, this briefing will provide an update on the status of the following plan elements:
• Governance
• Plan Implementation Reporting
• Municipal Initiatives
• Building and Transportation Policies and Initiatives
• Adaptation Initiatives
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.
RECOMMENDATION:
This item is for briefing purposes only.