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HomeMy WebLinkAbout082608 Go Green ChallengeVML ”GO GREEN”CHALLENGE Clay Bernick Environmental Management Administrator City of Virginia Beach August 26, 2008 Briefing Objectives What is the VML Go Green Challenge? Review How Virginia Beach is Meeting the VA Municipal League’s Go Green Challenge Request Council to Formally Adopt a Resolution to Support Sustainability, Climate Protection and Related Efforts VML’s Go Green Challenge What is the Go Green Challenge? Who is Involved? What has Virginia Beach done so far? What is the Go Green Challenge? A friendly competition among VML member local governments to encourage the implementation of specific environmental policies and practical actions that not only reduce carbon emissions, but can save local governments money. The initiative, endorsed by the VML’s Executive Committee, recognizes that the Commonwealth's communities need to take innovative steps to reduce energy usage and promote sustainability. Who is Involved? As of August 22, 68 out of 208, or 33% of VML member jurisdictions representing 44% of the state’s population, are participating in the competition. As of August 22, 12 of 16 VML member local governments in Hampton Roads are participating, representing 49% of the total VML participant population Nationwide, over x cities are involved in some form of similar sustainable programs. VML Go Green Challenge 11 Categories 30 Action Areas 200 Possible Points How is Virginia Beach Meeting the Challenge? Planning’s Environmental Management Center Team is compiling data for scoring for each category and action area, assisted by: GRC ? JEC ? Schools ? Other Departments (CVB, Finance, Management Services, ? Public Works) Results are to be submitted to VML by September 30 Team will provide written report as part of Council package before submittal to VML Government Policy Adoption Policy Adoption will help City meet “Go Green”Challenge ? Mayor Oberndorf signed U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate ? Protection Agreement in 2005. Signatories commit to take actions to: trive to meet or beat the Kyoto Protocol targets in their S ? own communities Urge their state governments, and the federal ? government, to enact policies and programs to meet or beat the greenhouse gas emission reduction target suggested for the United States in the Kyoto Protocol -a 7% reduction from 1990 levels by 2012 Urge the U.S. Congress to pass draft bipartisan ? greenhouse gas reduction legislation, which would establish a national emission trading system Resolution for City Council to collectively support this effort and ? a broader sustainability strategy forthcoming for consideration in September What can Virginia Beach hope to do in the Short Term? Continue to identify low-to no-cost measures to help improve the City’s performance in each of the 11 VML Go Green Challenge Categories (example -wind power generation zoning ordinance amendments) Become better recognized as a leader and an example in the region, state and nation of a sustainable community Begin a focused effort to market Virginia Beach as a location for promoting educational and economic development that is sustainable for the City, and recruiting businesses that export sustainable goods (services, products, programs and ideas) Begin to formalize the City’s widespread “green”initiatives in a sustainability framework as is happening in other cities throughout the nation Questions?