HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Environmental Advisory Committee_Tab 04_8/11/2021Agenda Item #4.
Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC)
STAFF MEMO
Meeting: Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) - Aug 11 2021
Staff Contact: Thomas Bradford, EAC Chair Department: Environmental Advisory
Committee
Village Request for the EAC to Develop a Race to Zero Like Plan for Tequesta
SUMMARY:
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Race to Zero Memo 081121
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Agenda Item #4.
Village of Tequesta
Environmental Advisory
Committee
Memo
To: Environmental Advisory Committee Members
From: Thomas G. Bradford, Chair, EAC
cc: NA
Date: August 11, 2021
Re: A Plan for Reducing Green House Gases for the Village of Tequesta
The EAC has been requested by the Village Manager to help develop a plan for Tequesta to reduce
its carbon footprint, but not necessarily pursuant to, or in conjunction with, many formal
organizational efforts around the world to reduce carbon emissions over time with the goal of
becoming carbon neutral by a time certain. For your information, two such groups are as follows.
GCoM is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, built upon the commitment
of over 10,000 cities and local governments. These cities hail from 6 continents and 140
countries. In total, they represent more than 900 million people. By 2030, Global Covenant
cities and local governments could account for 2.3 billion tons CO2e of annual emissions
reduction, matching yearly passenger road emissions from the U.S., China, France, Mexico,
Russia, and Argentina combined. The cities and partners of the Global Covenant of Mayors
for Climate & Energy share a long-term vision of supporting voluntary action to combat
climate change. Together, we're working towards a resilient and low -emission society.
GCoM envisions a world where committed mayors and local governments — in alliance with
partners — accelerate ambitious, measurable climate and energy initiatives that lead to an
inclusive, just, low -emission and climate resilient future, helping to meet and exceed the
Paris Agreement objectives. Learn more here: www.globalcovenantofmgyors.com
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Agenda Item #4.
The Race to Zero is a global campaign run by the COP26 Presidency and High -Level Climate
Champions to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions and investors for a
healthy, resilient, zero carbon transition that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and
unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth. The objective is to build momentum around the shift to a
decarbonized economy ahead of COP26, where governments must strengthen their contributions
to the Paris Agreement. This will send governments a resounding signal that cities, regions,
businesses and investors are united in meeting the Paris goals and creating a more inclusive and
resilient economy. Race to Zero or Cities Race to Zero brings together all those who share our
vision for a better future based on a set of principles that address equity together with the
environment (below), and who strive to build a coalition across business, labor unions, youth
climate activists and civil society, to transform the world. Learn more here:
https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/cities-race-to-zero?language=en US
The Florida Race to Zero is a friendly competition between Florida's mayors designed to showcase
how their cities are leading the way to climate neutrality for the Sunshine State. The mayors of
Orlando, St. Petersburg, Tampa and the Miami region have all made ambitious pledges to make
their cities carbon neutral. The mission of this coalition is to serve as a platform to amplify their
work, collaborate with one another and encourage other mayors and cities to "join the race" and
make similar pledges. Learn more here: https://www.floridaracetozero.com/
If Tequesta and the EAC go down this path, the goal is not to necessarily become a member of any
organization, but to do the best we can with the resources that we have to reduce our carbon
footprint and its impact to our environment, including the effects on climate change. One idea the
Village Manager has was to engage in competition with municipalities in our region on things like
tree planting, recycling participation, Village marketing for the use of PACE, property assessed
clean energy financing, by residents and businesses, use of solar panels by the Village, etc., the
smaller things that are financially within our grasp to do. He liked the competition you see in the
Florida Race to Zero above. It gives people something to strive for. Our assignment is to prepare
a plan for Tequesta to follow in making a reduction in its carbon footprint. All ideas are worthy of
consideration. Express your initial thoughts on all this with your fellow members of the EAC so
we can get the ball rolling. This is an important breakthrough for the EAC. We should not let this
slip through our fingers.
Most of you do not know that I prepared a draft sustainability plan for the Village on or before the
EAC was started. I share below the Climate Protection section of the draft sustainability plan with
one purpose in mind that I will indicate below.
"Focus Area 2. Climate Protection
Goals: To address the suspected causes of sea level rise and global warming trends for Village
operations, the community of Tequesta, and the Southeastern Florida region by working with
E
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Agenda Item #4.
community and regional partners. I Also, to develop sea level rise adaptation plans for the Village
by working with community and regional partners.
Objectives:
=>
2020 - TBD
=>
2021- TBD
=>
2022 - TBD
=>
2023 - TBD
=>
2024 - TBD
Suggested objectives for consideration:
1) Third Party Certification of the Village's Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions inventory: Internal
Operations Greenhouse Gas Emissions to be determined also.
2) Development of a Climate Action Plan (CAP): Consider RFP for consultant services to provide
technical services related to the development of a communitywide climate action plan.
3) Staff coordination with any ongoing regional greenhouse gas inventory and regional reduction
measures.
4) Staff to monitor and comment on any Florida regulations to be proposed for GHG emissions.
5) Develop, report, and announce any reductions of carbon dioxide emissions achieved for Village
operations through improved energy efficiency and/or purchase of renewable energy.
6) Incorporate pertinent portions of this Focus Area, objectives, and findings into the next edition
of the Village of Tequesta Comprehensive Plan. "
The first thing we have to have is item number one above, but not necessarily by a third party, nor
necessarily certified. What is the Village of Tequesta carbon footprint and what activities are
creating that carbon footprint? What is our starting point? On the other side of the equation, even
for the soft easy solutions, we need to know how much the carbon reduction will be from specific
actions. For example, how much carbon does a Live Oak tree remove from the atmosphere per
year and how many Live Oak trees does Tequesta own? You need to know this in order to know
what a Live Oak Tree planting program will provide for you in greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions.
The question is, can we get this information without contracting for it or, failing that, can we get a
grant for such work?
1 Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Sea Level Rise Work Group (Compact). October 2015.
Unified Sea Level Rise Projection for Southeast Florida. A document prepared for the Southeast Florida Regional
Climate Change Compact Steering Committee.
3
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Agenda Item #4.
There are carbon calculators. See this one by Terrapass. hitps://terrapass.com/carbon-footprint-
calculator?utm_ source=Ppc&utm medium=search&utm_campaignexperiment_2&utm_term=e
xp2_calculator _2& clg id=C'wl KCAjwr56IBhAvEiwAlfugGpZTJwk9xpKOkNks5mUzRgdegK2
GNYPd7Bj afk7IoicUCbGM-IIooRoCB SsQAvD_BwE
There are others, but they all have an apparent goal of selling you something, with one exception;
the EPA.
The EPA calculator can be accessed here: hgps://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/simplified-ghg-
emissions-calculator It's one bear of an Excel based calculator, maybe more than we can handle.
I've never seen one as complex as this.
I'm thinking that we should look for a grant to tell us what the Village of Tequesta carbon footprint
is by municipal function and what is the typical carbon footprint reduction from common specific
actions we are likely to employ? The Village has a grant writer under contract. Perhaps she can
find a grant that will give us the carbon/GHG data we need for current footprint, sources of that
footprint, contributions of the sources to the overall footprint and the reductions that would be
delivered by specific actions.
Do you agree with the proposed starting point? Who among us wants to spearhead this assignment?
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