Agenda 8-h - Joining the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 5, 2018 Action Agenda Item No. 8-h SUBJECT: Joining the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy DEPARTMENT: Asset Management Services ATTACHMENT(S): 1) Orange County’s Proposed Letter of Commitment to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy 2) Fact Sheet on the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy INFORMATION CONTACT: Brennan Bouma, Sustainability Coordinator, (919) 245-2626 PURPOSE: To authorize the Chair to sign a letter indicating Orange County’s commitment to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy as requested by the Orange County Commission for the Environment. BACKGROUND: In June 2017, following the federal government’s decision to withdraw from the international Paris Climate Agreement, the Board of Orange County Commissioners resolved to uphold the Agreement. This established a goal for Orange County to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 28% by 2025 based on 2005 levels. That resolution, and the set of climate and energy actions it implies, was further strengthened by Orange County’s commitment in September 2017 to move to a 100% renewable energy economy. In order to meet these goals, a first logical step is to update the County’s original 2005 Greenhouse Gas Inventory and to begin the process of creating a climate, resilience, and renewables action plan. Orange County is not alone in prioritizing the need for thoughtful actions to both combat and prepare for the worst impacts of climate change, and there are now standard processes, models, and tools that can be used to plan the County’s next steps and track its progress transparently. In parallel with setting these goals, the Orange County Board of Commissioners and Manager approved funding in FY 2017-18 for Orange County’s portion of the Triangle Regional Resilience Assessment, which is currently nearing completion. Once complete, this assessment will identify stressors, both climate-related (e.g. storm events, extreme heat) and non-climate related (e.g. population growth, affordable housing), and the vulnerabilities of certain regional assets to those stressors. This will inform local planning and action to increase Orange County’s resilience in a time of rapid change. The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (hereafter “Covenant”) assists more than 7,100 local governments worldwide in their transition to a low-carbon economy, and 1