Cities for Climate Protection Campaign

On January 4 , 2000 the Fairfax Town Council voted unanimously to adopt the resolution called ‘Cities for Climate Protection Campaign’. By passing this resolution Fairfax becomes the 68th municipality in the nation and the 365th internationally to pledge the development and implementation of action steps that reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution.

To become an active member of the campaign, a town must first calculate it’s baseline Carbon Dioxide levels and Methane, then create strategies to work towards an emissions reduction target. For their efforts the 67 American cities and towns who are the cutting edge members of the Campaign received the ‘Renew America Award’ this past summer from the presidents council on sustainability .

Sustainable Fairfax (an affiliate of Sustainable North Bay) proposed the resolution to Fairfax’s Town Council 2 months ago . Both organizations are backing the same resolution at the County level. The goal of Sustainable Fairfax is to work closely with local government to create and encourage effective systems that will preserve and regenerate the local environment.

For more information visit the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) web site...

Measures Local Governments Can Take to Reduce GHG Emissions:

This is a sector-by-sector list of sample measures local governments can implement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Use this list to identify existing measures to include in your Local Action Plan, as well as to brainstorm on new measures that could be enacted in the future.

Local Government's Operations:

Buildings

• Comprehensive municipal retrofit of existing buildings, parks, stadiums, swimming pools and other recreation facilities, e.g. lighting, insulation, HVAC systems
• Building-specific renewable energy applications, e.g. installing solar hot water heating for locker rooms of recreational facilities
• Lighting efficiency improvements
• Energy efficiency standards for renovations and new construction of municipal buildings
• Lighten colors of existing rooftops and street paving to reduce "heat island" effect
• Rooftop gardens, greening of buildings surroundings for cooling
• Building-specific fuel switch from electricity to natural gas
• Implement co-generation/heat recovery
• Procurement policies that specify energy efficiency standards in all purchasing and bid specs for office equipment, motors, lighting, appliances, etc.

Lighting

• Replace existing lighting with energy-efficient and low-wattage lamps and ballast
• Reduce energy use through reducing hours of operation and/or number of lights
• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) powered street and emergency lighting
• Switch traffic signals, exit signs from incandescent bulbs to Light Emitting Diodes (LED's).

Procurement

• Modify purchasing policies to specify energy efficiency standards in all purchasing and bid specs for office equipment, motors, lighting, appliances, etc.
• Purchase "green power" and specify renewable energy content for local government operations

Fleet

• Downsize current and future vehicles through procurement policy changes
• Reduce fleet size (i.e. total number of vehicles)
• Improve scheduling and route efficiency
• Change procurement policy to specify high fuel efficiency for each vehicle class
• Improve maintenance regime for increased efficiency e.g. check tire pressure
• Replace on-the-job driving with telecommunications, transit, bicycling, walking, and carpooling
• Provide incentives to reduce municipal employee travel, e.g. trip reduction policies like subsidized transit passes, elimination of free parking, preferred parking for carpools, vanpools

Water

• Energy-efficient retrofit of facilities, especially pumping processes
• Energy efficient specs for new construction of sewage and waste water system
• Improve energy-efficiency of equipment
• Process changes to improve energy-efficiency of treatment of waste water and sewage
• Change energy source from electricity to natural gas for existing operations

Waste

• Increase office recycling, e.g. paper, cardboard, cans, toner cartridges
• Food waste recovery for composting or other use in cafeterias and kitchens of local government buildings
• Waste prevention in day-to-day operations: two-side copying, reduced paper requirements, etc.
• Purchasing preferences for recycled materials
• Compost park, street and other landscaping debris for reuse by Parks and Recs
• Landfill methane recovery for energy production

Others

• Implement or participate in district energy programs (district heating, cooling)
• Implement public education programs, e.g., special events, PSAs, curricula
• Implement urban forestry projects
• Establish energy efficiency / climate protection information clearinghouse

Community Measures:

Residential Sector

• Building Codes setting energy efficiency standards for new construction or major renovations, and requiring light colored, high albedo rooftops and pavement
• Ordinance for energy efficient retrofit in existing building stock at time of sale
• Solar access ordinance
• Solar hot water/pool heating ordinance or incentives
• Passive solar design and solar orientation incentives, guidelines, ordinances
• Financial incentives (tax incentives, rebates, loans, etc.) for installation of Photovoltaics, other renewable energy application, etc. for more efficient appliances, e.g. refrigerators, lighting, water heaters
• Tax incentives for improving energy efficiency
• Home insulation/ weatherization program
• Distribute water saving devices, such as low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators
• Distribute compact fluorescent bulbs, other home energy saving devices
• Education/promotion of "cool communities" type landscaping
• Tree planting program to maximize shading of buildings

Commercial Sector

• Building codes raising energy efficiency standards for new construction, significant renovations, remodeling, additions, and other activities requiring permit as well as requiring light colored, high albedo rooftops and pavement
• Ordinance for energy efficient retrofit in existing building stock at time of sale
• Solar access ordinance
• Provide energy services to business, e.g. audits, assessments for energy
• efficiency improvements, other technical assistance
• Cooperative or aggregate purchase/buyer program for lighting, efficient
• equipment
• Distribute compact fluorescent, lighting occupancy sensors, other commercial application energy saving devices
• Lower business fees/wave permits for energy efficiency improvements and use of solar energy
• Building Energy Tax Credit

Industrial Sector

• Ordinance establishing energy efficiency requirements for new industrial permits
• Ordinance requiring industries to develop and implement energy conservation programs
• Ordinance establishing business fees/wave permits for energy efficiency improvements and fuel switching (including use of solar energy), heat recovery/co-generation systems
• Provide energy services to industry, e.g. audits, assessments to recommend process changes, other energy efficiency improvements
• Incorporate in inspection activities recommendations for energy savings, process changes

Transportation Sector

• Implement policy shifting funding away from roads and highways to alternative transit
• Increase use of alternative transit - public transit, van-, carpooling, cycling, walking through:
• Funding for facility, system and/or infrastructure improvements
• Dedicated lanes for transit/HOV vehicles
• Implement free bike share program
• Work with transit authority to reduce public transit fares
• Ordinance providing parking fee and road toll discounts for van- and carpools
• Jitney or shuttle service connecting neighborhoods to commuter lines
• Establish service center selling transit passes, coordinates car/van pooling, ride-sharing, etc.
• Trip Reduction Ordinance requiring or promoting programs to encourage use of transit, ride-sharing, telecommuting, business-sponsored parking cash-out programs
• Establish solar PV or other electric vehicle charging station
• Establish or facilitate road tolls to decrease motor vehicle use

Parking Policies

• Implement program to remove public parking
• Implement program of reduced parking fees for HOVs or high-MPG vehicles
• Zoning ordinance that reduces minimum parking space requirements for new construction
• Parking fees to fund transit use, bicycle or pedestrian improvements

Financing

• Establish financing program for efficiency improvements in the community, e.g. revolving loan funds through bonds, energy taxes, etc.

Land Use Changes

• Zoning/land use policy changes to promote infill development
• Zoning ordinance that promotes high-density development
• Zoning change to reduce parking requirements and allowances
• Density bonuses and incentives for high-density, infill, and transit-oriented development
• Impact, facility, mitigation, and permit fees that discourage sprawl

Solid Waste Reduction/Recycling Measures

• Reusable/salvageable goods exchange
• Home composting education program, compost bin distribution
• Curbside yard debris collection
• Implement or expand residential curbside recycling collection
• Commercial recycling collection
• Community recycling drop-off sites
• Financial incentives to reduce waste such as:
• Pay-as-you-throw or unit pricing
• Special taxes and tipping fees
• Advance disposal fees
• Implement landfill methane collection program

Measures Affecting Gas and Electric Utilities

• Purchase "green power" and specify renewable energy content for local government operations
• Negotiate minimum standards for renewable energy portfolio
• Negotiate aggregate purchasing contracts that specify renewable power for commercial and residential sectors
• Implement program offering residents and businesses the option of purchasing renewable power for a surcharge
• Include solar water heaters in utility DSM programs (plus incentives)