Recommendation 20240124-002 - Amendments to the Austin Climate Equity Plan — original pdf

Recommendation

Joint Sustainability Committee RECOMMENDATION 20240124-002 Date: January 24, 2024 Subject: Recommendations on amendments to the Ausitn Climate Equity Plan on telework and disposal rate goals Motioned By: Haris Qureshi Seconded By: Anna Scott Recommendation: The Joint Sustainability Committee recommends and supports the following updates to the Austin Climate Equity Plan: 1. Adding language to explicitly support telework policies as outlined in City Council Resolution No. 20231109-029, including ensuring that, whenever appropriate, all new City of Austin telework and remote work policies contribute towards the goal of achieving 25% Austin residents working from home by 2039 and include a strategy to implement a City of Austin telework policy of no less than 85% of eligible City of Austin employees choose work from home. 2. Equity Plan a. The Joint Sustainability Committee further recommends that the Austin Climate 3. Amend Food and Production Consumption Goal 3 on page 75 to reflect the disposal rate goals in the 2023 Austin Resource Recovery Comprehensive Plan adopted by Council Resolution No. 20231102-002. a. Current language: “Aggressively pursue waste reduction, organics composting, and recycling to achieve a new zero-waste goal following adoption of the new Austin Resource Recovery Zero Waste Plan*. *The new community-wide per capita disposal rate goal will be added as an amendment to this plan when available.” b. Recommended language: “Aggressively pursue waste reduction, organics composting, and recycling and maintain a per capita disposal rate of 4 pounds disposed per ARR-serviced household per day in the near-term and work to achieve 1 pound disposed per ARR-serviced household per day over time.” c. The Joint Sustainability Committee further recommends the Austin Climate Equity Plan be updated in the near future to refine the disposal rate goal with clear target dates and more ambitious interim goals. Rationale: 1. The Joint Sustainability Committee supports expanded support and encouragement for telework for the reasons described in Joint Sustainability Committee Recommendation 20230628-4. 2. The Joint Sustainability Committee recognizes that product consumption is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. The addition of the disposal rate goals reflects this fact and was envisioned in the drafting of the Austin Climate Equity Plan. Page 75 of the Plan states “*The new community-wide per capita disposal rate goal will be added as an amendment to this plan when available.” Vote: 13-0 For: Kaiba White, Rodrigo Leal, Haris Qureshi, Chris Maxwell-Gaines Melissa Rothrock, Jon Salinas, Alice Woods, Amy Noel, Diana Wheeler, Christopher Campbell, Anna Scott, Charlotte Davis, Heather Houser Against: N/A Abstain: N/A Off Dais: N/A Absent: Larry Franklin, Bertha Delgado, Stephanie Bazan, Yure Suarez Attest: Rohan Lilauwala, Staff Liaison