Opinion
Seattle's Road Map to a Climate-Friendly Future
In 2011, the City of Seattle adopted some of the most aggressive greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in the world to put Seattle on a path to become carbon neutral by 2050.
Accomplishing this ambitious goal will require bold, decisive action by the city, our residents and our businesses. The 2050 commitment builds on Seattle's history of environmental leadership, including efforts in 2000 to create the first carbon neutral electric utility, the 2005 effort led by then-mayor Greg Nickels to get cities across the nation to commit to meeting the Kyoto Protocol targets for greenhouse gas reduction and Seattle’s first Climate Action Plan in 2006.
I would like to address the ongoing debate on this web site about climate plans. [Editor's note: After Erica reported on a study concluding that city-based climate action plans don't lead cities to take environmental steps they wouldn't already have taken, Climate Solutions policy director KC Golden responded that cities with climate plans have been successful at reducing emissions. Todd Myers, of the conservative Washington Policy Center, shot back with an op/ed arguing that the city hasn't met its climate targets, and that market-based solutions are the answer to cutting emissions.] I agree with KC Golden: Climate plans are simply frameworks for guiding future actions.
These actions must come from the public and private sectors together. It is clear that existing market incentives alone are not creating the innovative new approaches needed to fight climate change. The public sector—city, state and federal governments—can spur climate-friendly innovation in two ways. We can require climate-friendly action through our laws and policies. And we can create incentives that spur climate-friendly action in the private sector.
For example, in many zones, the city allows developers additional height (technically, Floor-Area Ratio) for building to LEED standards. The federal government has offered tax incentives for purchasing an electric vehicle, which spurred both purchasing and production of these products. Climate action planning fosters the collaboration needed between public and private stakeholders and the general public to get those policies and incentives working in concert to meet our climate goals.
As this debate carries on, work is underway to update Seattle’s Climate Action Plan for 2012. This plan will provide a road map for the city to meet its net zero emissions target in three sectors: building energy efficiency, transportation and waste. Seattle is focusing on these three sectors because they are where we have most ability to influence outcomes.
The process for the 2012 Climate Action Plan update is being led by the Office of Sustainability and Environment. Draft strategies to reduce significantly emissions in all three sectors will be announced in April. In May, the city will convene a Green Ribbon Commission that will continue to vet those strategies for their political and financial feasibility. The public is encouraged to weigh in on the initial strategies as well as the final draft plan when it’s released in the fall. For more information or to schedule a briefing on the plan, visit the Office of Sustainability and Environment’s Climate Action Plan website or contact me at [email protected].
Making public policy requires both political and public will to accomplish a common objective. Good planning coupled with inclusive outreach and public engagement helps build that will to take action. Let there be no doubt—we must continue taking bold, decisive actions to reduce our impacts on the climate. Climate action planning gives us a road map for the actions we need to take. Without this road map to a climate-friendly future, we could miss opportunities for collaboration or end up focusing on the wrong solutions altogether. Worse, if we do not plan now and instead wait for purely market-based solutions to emerge, we could act too late to make the meaningful impact needed to protect our environment and our quality of life.
Accomplishing this ambitious goal will require bold, decisive action by the city, our residents and our businesses. The 2050 commitment builds on Seattle's history of environmental leadership, including efforts in 2000 to create the first carbon neutral electric utility, the 2005 effort led by then-mayor Greg Nickels to get cities across the nation to commit to meeting the Kyoto Protocol targets for greenhouse gas reduction and Seattle’s first Climate Action Plan in 2006.
I would like to address the ongoing debate on this web site about climate plans. [Editor's note: After Erica reported on a study concluding that city-based climate action plans don't lead cities to take environmental steps they wouldn't already have taken, Climate Solutions policy director KC Golden responded that cities with climate plans have been successful at reducing emissions. Todd Myers, of the conservative Washington Policy Center, shot back with an op/ed arguing that the city hasn't met its climate targets, and that market-based solutions are the answer to cutting emissions.] I agree with KC Golden: Climate plans are simply frameworks for guiding future actions.
These actions must come from the public and private sectors together. It is clear that existing market incentives alone are not creating the innovative new approaches needed to fight climate change. The public sector—city, state and federal governments—can spur climate-friendly innovation in two ways. We can require climate-friendly action through our laws and policies. And we can create incentives that spur climate-friendly action in the private sector.
For example, in many zones, the city allows developers additional height (technically, Floor-Area Ratio) for building to LEED standards. The federal government has offered tax incentives for purchasing an electric vehicle, which spurred both purchasing and production of these products. Climate action planning fosters the collaboration needed between public and private stakeholders and the general public to get those policies and incentives working in concert to meet our climate goals.
As this debate carries on, work is underway to update Seattle’s Climate Action Plan for 2012. This plan will provide a road map for the city to meet its net zero emissions target in three sectors: building energy efficiency, transportation and waste. Seattle is focusing on these three sectors because they are where we have most ability to influence outcomes.
The process for the 2012 Climate Action Plan update is being led by the Office of Sustainability and Environment. Draft strategies to reduce significantly emissions in all three sectors will be announced in April. In May, the city will convene a Green Ribbon Commission that will continue to vet those strategies for their political and financial feasibility. The public is encouraged to weigh in on the initial strategies as well as the final draft plan when it’s released in the fall. For more information or to schedule a briefing on the plan, visit the Office of Sustainability and Environment’s Climate Action Plan website or contact me at [email protected].
Making public policy requires both political and public will to accomplish a common objective. Good planning coupled with inclusive outreach and public engagement helps build that will to take action. Let there be no doubt—we must continue taking bold, decisive actions to reduce our impacts on the climate. Climate action planning gives us a road map for the actions we need to take. Without this road map to a climate-friendly future, we could miss opportunities for collaboration or end up focusing on the wrong solutions altogether. Worse, if we do not plan now and instead wait for purely market-based solutions to emerge, we could act too late to make the meaningful impact needed to protect our environment and our quality of life.
