MEMO TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Birney
SUBJECT:
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Updated King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) Letter of Joint Commitments and Environmental Sustainability Action Plan Briefing
I. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
Staff Report
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II. DEPARTMENT CONTACTS
Carol Helland, Director 425-556-2107
Cathy Beam, AICP, Principal Planner 425-556-2429
Department of Planning and Community Development
Jenny Lybeck, Environmental Sustainability Program Mgr. 425-556-2121
Executive Department
III. DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND
K4C Letter of Joint Commitments
This item presents an opportunity for the Council to adopt a refreshed set of joint climate
commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as part of the City's ongoing multiyear participation in the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration.
Due to recent climate-related policy advances made in Olympia, along with the unexpected weakening of some federal emissions programs, and new technical developments, member cities decided in early 2019 to refresh the original 2014 commitments. The updated Joint Commitments document is very similar to the original 2014 commitments. Differences consist mostly of: clarifications of certain phrases; more inclusive language; acknowledgment of new State legislation; and three new sections addressing (a) new technology (e.g. electric vehicles), (b) city operations, and (c) the need for climate change preparedness. In order to make the most effective use of time, staff often pursues much of the City's greenhouse gas reduction ("GHG") work via participation in programs coordinated by the K4C. Due to the interconnected nature of emissions, K4C actions can include local GHG initiatives with various partner cities, as well as advocacy before State agencies or at the State Legislature, or action through sign-on letters.
The City of Redmond was a founding member of the K4C in 2011 and formalized its participation via an ongoing...
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