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Committing the City of Philadelphia to meet or exceed its share of the targets set by the Paris Climate Accord for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
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WHEREAS, The Paris Accord has been signed by 195 countries, including the United States, agreeing to adopt nationally determined targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of pursuing efforts to limit global temperature increase to 1.5° C and of limiting global warming to a level less than 2° C above pre-industrial levels; and
WHEREAS, The United States, as a signatory to the Paris Accord, committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 to a level 26% to 28% below its 2005 levels; and
WHEREAS, On June 1, 2017, President Donald J. Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Accord, thereby joining Nicaragua and Syria as the only countries in the world not participating; and
WHEREAS, On June 1, 2017, Mayor James Kenney, responding to Trump, reaffirmed that Philadelphia is committed to upholding the same commitments made by the U.S. in the Paris climate agreement; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia participates in climate action through the global Compact of Mayors, the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda, US Climate Mayors, the global Memorandum of Understanding, the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), the Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG); and
WHEREAS, The responsible direction of investment capital being necessary to fund responses to the crisis of climate disruption, Philadelphia encourages divestment from fossil fuels and investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council hereby urge the City of Philadelphia to:
Section 1. Commit to doing its part to meet the obligations of the United States under the Paris Accord to limit global warming to 1.5° C above pre-industrial levels.
Section 2. Commit to making its own operations become carbon-neutral by 2050, at which time 100% of its electricity and other energy requirement will be obtained from renewable sources.
Section 3. Invite other governmental jurisdictions and their agencies, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and other parties within the Greater Philadelphia region to join in helping to meet our collective responsibility to limit global warming to 1.5° C above pre-industrial levels.
Section 4. Commit to coordinate and work with concerned communities, government agencies, companies, and coalitions to ensure that Philadelphia is participating in and, where appropriate, leading, the local and national response to fulfill all United States commitments under the Paris Accord as agreed in December 2016 and as may be amended in the future including, but not limited to, support for the Green Climate Fund.
Section 5. Request that the Office of Sustainability (“OOS”) identify the key actions necessary by the City and entities operating within Philadelphia County to meet or exceed the goals ratified by the Paris Accord such that Philadelphia will do its part to restrict greenhouse gas emissions sufficiently to limit global warming to 1.5° C, while advancing Philadelphia’s goals for a just and sustainable future.
Section 6. Invite the nonprofit community to establish a Philadelphia Green Climate Fund for the purpose of collecting contributions to the United Nations Green Climate Fund on behalf of Philadelphians, with an annual goal of at least $10 for every resident of Philadelphia, as our prorated commitment.
Section 7. Urge the Philadelphia Board of Pensions and Retirement and the financial institutions that serve as repositories for City funds to divest from fossil fuels and invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives as rapidly as possible.
Section 8. Support the implementation of an equitable and effective price on carbon pollution, fully reflecting the social costs of fossil fuel use, along with reinvestment of those funds to help make energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives to fossil fuels more accessible and affordable.
Section 9. Commit to stimulate the generation of secure, family-supporting, local jobs in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energy with equitable access to green career pathways for inner-city workers.
Section 10. Take steps to mitigate and adapt to climate disruption including establishment of cooling centers, improvement of storm water retention and flood control, and building of barriers to storm surges and rising sea levels.
Section 11. Ask public agencies, including the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA), the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), and the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) to join the City’s commitment to meet the goals of the Paris Accord.
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