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Legislation
Resolution
City Hail
3500 Pan American
Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
File Number: 07-00492 Final Action Date:
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION ADOPTING THE US
MAYORS CLIMATE PROTECTION AGREEMENT, UPON ADOPTION TO BE
KNOWN AS THE MIAMI CLIMATE PROTECTION AGREEMENT; ESTABLISHING
A METHOD BY WHICH THE CITY WILL COMPLY WITH THE GOALS SET FORTH
THEREIN.
WHEREAS, during the past five (5) years, the City has launched a comprehensive and aggressive
environmental program to clean our streets, our waterways, brown fields, storm drains, and improve
our air and water quality, thus reversing decades of environmental neglect; and,
WHEREAS, in furtherance of this environmental program, Mayor Manuel A. Diaz ("Mayor") was one of
the first United States Mayors to sign the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement (the "Agreement")
committing cities to take actions to reduce global warming pollution by striving to meet or exceed
Kyoto Protocol targets; and,
WHEREAS, the Mayor's commitment to join other mayors throughout the country (today 400 Mayors
representing over 58 million people have signed the Agreement) brought the issue of environmental
policy to the forefront of South Florida priorities; and,
WHEREAS, during the Mayor's 2006 State of the City Address, core steps for environmental policy
were identified, increasing the level of focus on innovation, and developing a strong foundation for
environmentalism; and,
WHEREAS, the Inter -Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), among the international
community=s most respected assemblage of scientists, has found that climate disruption is a reality
and that human activities are largely responsible for increasing concentrations of global warming
pollution; and
WHEREAS, recent, well -documented impacts of climate disruption include average global sea level
increases of four to eight inches during the 20th century; a 40 percent decline in Arctic sea -ice
thickness; and nine of the ten hottest years on record occurring in the past decade; and
WHEREAS, climate disruption of the magnitude now predicted by the scientific community will cause
extremely costly disruption of human and natural systems throughout the world including: increased
risk of floods or droughts; sea level rises that interact with coastal storms to erode beaches, inundate
land, and damage structures; more frequent and extreme heat waves; more frequent and greater
concentrations of smog; and
WHEREAS, on February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to address climate
disruption, went into effect in the 141 countries that have ratified it to date; 38 of those countries are
now legally required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on average 5.2 percent below 1990 levels
by 2012; and
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WHEREAS, the United States of America, with less than five percent of the words population, is
responsible for producing approximately 25 percent of the worlds global warming pollutants; and
WHEREAS, the Kyoto Protocol emissions reduction target for the U.S. would have been 7 percent
below 1990 levels by 2012; and
WHEREAS, many leading US companies that have adopted greenhouse gas reduction programs to
demonstrate corporate social responsibility have also publicly expressed preference for the US to
adopt precise and mandatory emissions targets and timetables as a means by which to remain
competitive in the international marketplace, to mitigate financial risk and to promote sound investment
decisions; and
WHEREAS, state and local governments throughout the United States are adopting emission
reduction targets and programs and that this leadership is bipartisan, coming from Republican and
Democratic governors and mayors alike; and
WHEREAS, many cities throughout the nation, both large and small, are reducing global warming
pollutants through programs that provide economic and quality of life benefits such as reduced energy
bills, green space preservation, air quality improvements, reduced traffic congestion, improved
transportation choices, and economic development and job creation through energy conservation and
new energy technologies; and
WHEREAS, mayors from around the nation have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection
Agreement which, as amended at the 73rd Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting, reads: The
U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement (A) We urge the federal government and state
governments to enact policies and programs to meet or beat the target of reducing global warming
pollution levels to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, including efforts to: reduce the United States=
dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate the development of clean, economical energy resources
and fuel -efficient technologies such as conservation, methane recovery for energy generation, waste
to energy, wind and solar energy, fuel cells, efficient motor vehicles, and biofuels; (B) We urge the
U.S. Congress to pass bipartisan greenhouse gas reduction legislation that includes (1) clear
timetables and emissions limits and (2) a flexible, market -based system of tradable allowances among
emitting industries; and (C) We will strive to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global
warming pollution by taking actions in our own operations and communities such as: (1) Inventory
global warming emissions in City operations and in the community, set reduction targets and create an
action plan. (2) Adopt and enforce land -use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve open space, and
create compact, walkable urban communities; (3) Promote transportation options such as bicycle
trails, commute trip reduction programs, incentives for car pooling and public transit; (4) Increase the
use of clean, alternative energy by, for example, investing in Agreen tags@, advocating for the
development of renewable energy resources, recovering landfill methane for energy production, and
supporting the use of waste to energy technology; (5) Make energy efficiency a priority through
building code improvements, retrofitting city facilities with energy efficient lighting and urging
employees to conserve energy and save money; (6) Purchase only Energy Star equipment and
appliances for City use; (7) Practice and promote sustainable building practices using the U.S. Green
Building Council's LEED program or a similar system; (8) Increase the average fuel efficiency of
municipal fleet vehicles; reduce the number of vehicles; launch an employee education program
including anti -idling messages; convert diesel vehicles to bio-diesel; (9) Evaluate opportunities to
increase pump efficiency in water and wastewater systems; recover wastewater treatment methane for
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File Number: 07-00492
energy production; (10) Increase recycling rates in City operations and in the community; (11) Maintain
healthy urban forests; promote tree planting to increase shading and to absorb CO2; and (12) Help.
educate the public, schools, other jurisdictions, professional associations, business and industry about
reducing global warming pollution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA.
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are adopted by
reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The Miami Climate Protection Agreement is hereby adopted.
Section 3. The City of Miami will work in conjunction with ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability,
the United States Green Building Council, and other appropriate organizations to track progress and
implementation of the Miami Climate Protection Agreement.
Section 4. This resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption and signature of the
Mayor {1}.
...Footnote
{1} If the mayor does not sign this Resolution, it shall become effective at the end of ten calendar days
from the date it was passed and adopted. If the Mayor vetoes this Resolution, it shall become
effective immediately upon override of the veto by the City Commission.
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