20201020-005: Recommendation to Support Climate Equity Plan — original pdf

Recommendation

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20201020-005 Seconded By: Commissioner Brenneman Date: October 20, 2020 Subject: Recommendation to adopt the Austin Climate Equity Plan, including goals for greenhouse gas emissions and allowing the use of carbon offsets to meet up to 10 percent of the annual emissions goals; and to direct the City Manager to fully implement the Climate Equity Plan. Recommendation to create the new City Council Committee on Environmental Justice and update the membership of the Joint Sustainability Committee. . Motioned By: Commissioner Smith Recommendation: City Council should adopt the Austin Climate Equity Plan, including a goal of net-zero community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and allowing the use of carbon offsets to meet up to 10 percent of annual emissions goals. Furthermore, the City Council should direct the City Manager to work with the Office of Sustainability, the Equity Office, and a working group of Austin residents to develop implementation plans, with budgets, schedules, leaders, and participants identified, to fully implement the Austin Climate Equity Plan to be presented as part of the fiscal year 2021/2022 budget. The City Council should create a new Council Committee on Environmental Justice to provide leadership on these topics and to oversee implementation of and future updates to the Austin Climate Equity Plan. The City Council should adopt an ordinance to update the bylaws for the Joint Sustainability Committee to add five additional members to the committee from the Austin community, appointed by the City Council. Vote: 8-0 For: Chair Harmon, Vice Chair White and Commissioners Smith, Blackburn, Babyak, Brenneman, Dielmann, and Johnson Abstain: None Absent: Commissioners Chavarria and Fralin Vacancies: 1 (District 3) Attest: Jamie Mitchell, Staff Liaison