HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-09-21; City Council; Resolution 2021-215RESOLUTION NO. 2021-215
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD,
CALIFORNIA APPROVING THE DECLARATION OF A CLIMATE
EMERGENCY1
EXHIBIT 1
WHEREAS, climate change poses an immediate and long-term threat to the City of Carlsbad in
the form of increased drought, air pollution, extreme heat, species stress, negative health effects, sea
level rise and increasing wildfires; and
WHEREAS, the Carlsbad City Council acknowlec:lges that these conditions constitute an
emergency affecting Carlsbad's residents, businesses, and natural resources; and
WHEREAS, efforts to control climate change will have many benefits, including cleaner air and
water, improved community health, local employment opportunit ies, and cost savings to households,
businesses and the city government; and
WHEREAS, the intensity of duration of record-breaking temperatures and severe drought
conditions continue across California and the West; and
WHEREAS, as outlined in the San Diego Summary Report of California's Fourth Climate Change
Assessment2, the San Diego region will experience climate change impacts in the form of sea level
rise and increased temperatures, _precipitation variability and intensity, drought, wildfire frequency
and intensity; and
WHEREAS, due to increased drought, heat and extended extreme conditions, the wildfire
season in California is now considered to be year-round3, resulting in the loss of life, unprecedented
destruction due to wild land fires, contributing to hazardous air quality and economic devastation for
millions of people in California; and
WHEREAS, the City of Carlsbad is home to three lagoons and nearly seven miles of coastline,
making many areas in the city vulnerable to sea level rise; and
WHEREAS, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change analysis4 projects that a critical
point in our temperature rise is between l .S°C and 2.0°C, that upon reaching a l.S°C increase, there
is very likely to be adverse climate, economic and ecological impacts, and that an increase of 2°C
could make these conditions far worse and more widespread; and
WHEREAS, the best climate models show that limiting our temperature rise to l .S°C may be
possible but only with immediate and determined effort5; and
1 A climate emergency is "a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid
potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it." "Climate emergency" was the 2019 Oxford Dictionary
Word of the Year. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2019/
2 https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2019-11/Reg Report-SUM-CCCM-2018-009 SanDiego ADA.pdf
3 https ://legacy. p ressdem ocrat. com/ specia lsecti o ns/ rebu i Id north bay/ 104 78905-181/ rebu i Id i ng-sono m a-cou nty-1 eaders-
i n
4 https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
5 https://www.npr.org/2018/10/08/655360909/grim-forecast-from-u-n-on-global-climate-change
Sept. 21, 2021 Item #8 Page 4 of 20
WHEREAS, global greenhouse gas emissions have risen, not decreased, from 2017~20196
making action all the more urgent and necessary; and
WHEREAS, climate change is estimated from a survey of over 130 studies to lead to the
extinction of 8% of p_lant and animal species7, amounting to thousands of species, and other human-
caused factors, like habitat loss and degradation, lead to an even greater loss of biodiversity; and
WHEREAS, the Carlsbad City Council has made diversity, equity and inclusion a core principle
applied to everything the city does; and
WHEREAS, low-income communities, communities of color, the young, the disabled, the
elderly and indigenous communities in the U.S. and abroad have suffered the gravest consequences
of climate change8; and
WHEREAS, those who have contributed the most to this global climate and ecological crisis
must carry a commensurate burden in reversing it; and
WHEREAS, the City of Carlsbad has already taken steps to address climate change, including
adopting a Climate Action Plan in 2015 and establishing the Clean Energy Alliance in 2019, providing
the community with a choice in energy sources, including 100% renewable sources; and
WHEREAS, any meaningful action that stands a chance of success at mitigating and adapting
to the effects of climate change requires mobilization without delay, in service of the common good
and will require structural transformations, serious technological advances and significant changes in
collective behavior; and
WHEREAS, the City of Carlsbad is best suited to address existing and future climate change
impacts on its residents and businesses.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as
follows:
1. That the above recitations are true and correct.
2. That the City of Carlsbad declares that a climate emergency threatens our city, region,
state, nation and the entire natural world.
3. That the City of Carlsbad commits to ensure environmental, economic and social
justice in its climate actions by actively seeking input from all community stakeholders especially
those from vulnerable communities.
4. That the City of Carlsbad commits to ensuring the city's actions remain in alignment
with the most current scientific findings on climate change and that the city will continue to solicit
and rely on the advice and guidance of scientific experts.
6 https://www.c2es.org/content/international-emissions/
7 http://science.sciencemag.org/ content/348/6234/571. full
8 https://www.kcet.org/shows/tending-nature/the-disproportionate-impact-of-climate-change-on-indigenous-
communities
Sept. 21, 2021 Item #8 Page 5 of 20
5. That the City of Carlsbad commits to updating the Climate Action Plan9 as necessary to
achieve statewide, regional and community priorities.
6. That the City of Carlsbad commits to analyzing local climate change impacts on the
existing and future quality of life of its residents and health of its economy and adopting and
implementing climate adaptation and resiliency plans and policies that address those impacts.
7. That the City of Carlsbad supports transitioning away from fossil fuel cars, trucks and
buses for city fleet vehicles, and commits to promoting electric (or green hydrogen fuel cell) vehicles
and continuing its efforts to convert dty fleet vehicles and install electric vehicle charging stations.
8. That the City of Carlsbad builds on its sustainability initiatives to emerge as a leader in
green development an.d sustainability by working with the state in developing aggressive standards
that support building electrification and alternative transportation modalities.
9. That the City of Carlsbad commits to support climate smart development, which will
be achieved through a holistic approach to help build prosperity, end poverty and combat climate
change, through the Climate Action Plan.
10. That the City of Carlsbad commits to reducing automobile dependency by actively
l
working with regional, state and federal organizations such as San Diego Association of Governments,
North County Transit District, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, Amtrak, California Air
Resources Board, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and bike and pedestrian groups to increase
the viability of active or alternative-transportation throughout the region, in part through the city's
Susta.inable Mobility Plan.
11. That the City of Carlsbad commits to continue educating our residents about climate
change and actions they can take to combat it.
12. That the City of Carlsbad commits to working with business and community groups,
including but not limited to the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce arid the Carlsbad Village Association,
to bring increased emphasis on climate awareness to their members such as through continued
participation in the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Green Business Committee and implementation
of the Carlsbad Green Business Program.
13. That the City of Carlsbad commits to working with local school districts, colleges and
universities to support their students in existing and future programs regarding the severity of the
climate crisis, potential impacts on them and their lives, and opportunities for them to take action
since they will be the most affected.
14. That the City of Carlsbad endorses a just countywide emergency climate action
mobilization effort to reverse global warming, drastically reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions
and safely draw down carbon from the atmosphere as quickly as possible through collaboration with
nearby jurisdictions to take advantage of the economy of scale and for united engagement against
the common threat of our climate crisis.
15. That the City of Carlsbad commits to work with other jurisdictions (including county,
state and federal) to increase concern about the severity of the climate crisis and to lobby for prompt
and positive action.
9 https://www.carlsbadca .gov/home/showpublisheddocument/4192/637446665168800000
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