Fiscal Note
In the adopted 2017 capital budget Engineering-Facilities Management has budgeted $750,000 for renewable energy and energy efficient installations via the Sustainablity Improvements program funded by GO Borrowing. This resolution authorizes the updating of the Energy and Carbon Goals in the Sustainable Madison Plan by assigning up to $250,000 of that budgeted funding to develop a plan for city operations to achieve goals of 100% renewable energy and net-zero carbon emissions. Funding would be used for third-party expertise required to develop a plan.
Title
Updating the Energy and Carbon Goals in the Sustainable Madison Plan in response to changing science and technology around climate change, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Madison (City) desires to formulate and implement energy and carbon policy consistent with the environmental, economic and social objectives articulated in the Madison Sustainability Plan, the City’s Energy Work Plan, and existing State of Wisconsin energy policy applicable to local governmental units under Wis. Stat. sec. 1.12; and,
WHEREAS, the scientific consensus demands we limit global temperature increases below 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius to avoid the most destructive and dangerous effects of climate change;
WHEREAS, existing City energy and carbon goals were created before the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP 21, where 174 countries developed even more aggressive global targets that have since been ratified by the United States; and,
WHEREAS, the Common Council has directed the Sustainable Madison Committee to “Create a working group of the Sustainable Madison Committee that includes other community stakeholders to review the City’s climate change goals and update if needed”; and,
WHEREAS, the “Energy and Carbon Working Group” has received public testimony, consulted with a variety of experts and identified ambitious and common sense goals during five working group s...
Click here for full text