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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: September 5, 2023 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 7-a <br /> SUBJECT: Draft Orange County Climate Action Plan and Greenhouse Gas Inventory <br /> Report <br /> DEPARTMENT: County Manager's Office <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 1. Orange County Draft Climate Action Amy Eckberg, Sustainability Programs <br /> Plan with Greenhouse Gas Inventory Manager, 919-245-2626 <br /> PURPOSE: To receive the draft Climate Action Plan (CAP) and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) <br /> inventory report from Bluestrike Environmental Consulting. <br /> BACKGROUND: The next few years are critical in limiting global temperature to a 1.5° C <br /> increase and mitigating the most severe impacts of climate change. To do so, global <br /> emissions need to be halved by 2030, and net zero emissions must be achieved by 2050. <br /> It is a daunting task, but the cost of inaction is much higher. Investments now will reduce <br /> long-term operation costs, reduce recovery costs from climate-related disasters, and <br /> promote growth in local jobs and the economy. The draft climate action plan addresses the <br /> specific strategies that will help the County meet the climate change mitigation goals set by <br /> the Board in recent years including: <br /> • To proportionally uphold the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas <br /> emissions between 26-28 percent by 2025 from 2005 levels. <br /> • Transition to a 100% renewable energy-based economy by 2050. <br /> • Signatory to the Global Covenant of Mayors pledging to reduce greenhouse gas <br /> emissions, enhance resilience to climate change, and track progress transparently. <br /> As part of the County's on-going efforts to accelerate the mitigation of climate change, the <br /> County began a climate action planning process in November 2022 utilizing the professional <br /> services of Bluestrike Environmental Consulting to synthesize the work the County is already <br /> doing, to build upon the collaborative efforts and progress we made with regional partners <br /> and the Towns, and to develop a suite of strategies, or "roadmap", for the County to follow <br /> to achieve its climate goals. <br /> Key elements of the CAP include an updated GHG inventory. The GHG inventory describes <br /> which sectors contribute the most GHG emissions in Orange County and helps gauge <br /> progress towards reducing these emissions compared to previous GHG inventories <br />