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<br />demonstrates their global impact. It formally brings together the world’s two primary climate <br />action initiatives of cities: the US Compact of Mayors and the EU Covenant of Mayors. <br />Signatories of the Covenant gain access to a package of tools, protocols, and technical <br />assistance at no cost. While the name of this agreement includes the term “Mayors”, it is open <br />to all units of local government, including counties. <br /> <br />On April 9, 2018 the Sustainability Coordinator proposed and the Orange County Commission <br />for the Environment (CFE) unanimously resolved to support a request to the Board of Orange <br />County Commissioners to sign on to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. <br />Once the County has joined the Covenant, the top priority of the CFE’s Air and Energy <br />Committee for the 2018-2019 fiscal year will be to assist the Sustainability Coordinator in <br />completing a greenhouse gas inventory and beginning the required climate action and resilience <br />planning. <br /> <br />Orange County would be the first county in North Carolina to sign onto the Covenant, and only <br />the second local government to sign on after the City of Charlotte. <br /> <br />Signatories of the Covenant agree to take the following steps, all of which are already underway <br />thanks to the leadership of the Board of Orange County Commissioners: <br /> <br />Commitment of Covenant <br />Signatories <br />Current Orange County Progress <br />Complete the first annual community- <br />scale greenhouse gas (GHG) emission <br />inventory and report (within 1-year) <br />The Sustainability Coordinator is currently engaging <br />with a volunteer to collect the appropriate data to <br />estimate emissions following the U.S. Community <br />Protocol. Using the tools provided through signing the <br />Covenant, this work should be completed in the Fall of <br />2018. <br />Assess climate hazards and <br />vulnerabilities (within 2 years) <br />The Triangle Regional Resilience Assessment will be <br />completed in draft form by the end of June 2018. The <br />assessment will be finalized after local review among <br />the six partner governments. This process may take <br />six months. <br />Ambitious, measurable and time-bound <br />target(s) to reduce/limit greenhouse <br />gas emissions (within 2 years) <br />Greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals were set <br />in June of 2017 with the adoption of the resolution to <br />uphold the Paris Climate Agreement: 28% emissions <br />reduction by 2025. <br />Ambitious adaptation vision and goals, <br />based on quantified scientific evidence <br />when possible, to increase local <br />resilience to climate change (within 2 <br />years) <br />The Paris Climate Agreement also addresses <br />adaptation to the impacts of climate change by <br />establishing a goal of “enhancing adaptive capacity, <br />strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to <br />climate change, with a view to contributing to <br />sustainable development and ensuring an adequate <br />adaptation response in the context of the temperature <br />goal.” <br />Ambitious and just goal to improve <br />access to sustainable energy (within 2 <br />years) <br />Orange County set an ambitious goal in September <br />2017 with the adoption of the resolution to transition to <br />100% renewable energy by 2050. <br />Plan(s) to address climate change <br />mitigation / low emission development, <br />While the resilience assessment and greenhouse gas <br />emissions inventories are being completed, the <br />2