RE 2007-0123.2
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF COPPELL, TEXAS
RESOLUTION NO. 2D()7- 0/23. 'lJ
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF COPPELL, TEXAS, ENDORSING
THE U.S. MAYORS CLIMATE PROTECTION AGREEMENT AS AMENDED
BY THE 73RD ANNUAL U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS MEETING AND
URGING MAYORS FROM AROUND THE NATION TO JOIN THIS EFFORT.
WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously adopted strong policy resolutions
calling for cities, communities and the federal government to take actions to reduce global warming
pollution; and
WHEREAS, the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 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
pollutions; 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
WHEREAS, the United States of America, with less than five percent of the world's
population, is responsible for producing approximately 25 percent of the world's 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 U.S. companies that have adopted greenhouse gas reduction
programs to demonstrate corporate social responsibility have also publicly expressed preference for the
U.S. 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 U.S. are adopting emission reduction
targets coming from Republican and Democratic governors and mayors alike; and
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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 U.S. 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 III 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 "green 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;
10. Increase recycling rates in city operations and in the community;
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11. Maintain healthy urban forests; promote tree planting to increase shading and to absorb
C02; and
12. Help educate the public, schools, other jurisdictions, professional associations, business
and industry about reducing global warming pollution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the city of Coppell,
Texas, endorses the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement as amended by the 73rd annual U.S.
Conference of Mayors meeting and urges mayors from around the nation to join this effort.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the City Council of the city of Coppell, Texas, will
work in conjunction with ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and other appropriate
organizations to track progress and implementation of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
as amended by the 73r annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting.
DUL y PASSED by the City Council of the city of Coppell, Texas, this the Z3~ay of
g~(f ,2007
ATTEST:
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BY BAL~Y SECRETARY
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