COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR RESOLUTION NO. 220596
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RESOLUTION - Adopting the City’s Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan which has been approved by the Climate Protection Steering Committee and incorporating its findings and recommendations into City policy and operations.
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WHEREAS, the City Council on May 14, 2020, adopted Resolution No. 200005 directing the City to update the 2008 Climate Protection Plan to include new greenhouse gas reduction goals, resiliency and equity and incorporate the ideas into City policy and operations; and
WHEREAS, the City Council on November 4, 2021, adopted Resolution No. 210967 directing the City Manager to declare a climate and ecological emergency that threatens our city, region, state, nation, civilization, humanity, and the natural world; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Environmental Quality, in consultation with Brendle Group, Sophic Solutions, the Climate Protection Steering Committee, stakeholders, and community, has prepared a Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan that will simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve other high priority goals for the City, such as reducing Kansas City’s contribution to climate change and strategies to help our community adapt to the climate-related impacts we are already experiencing with a goal of a carbon neutral, equity focused and resilient Kansas City by 2040; and
WHEREAS, groups which have experienced historic and present-day inequities, such as Black, Latine, and Indigenous peoples, are likely to be disproportionately affected by climate change, and the opportunity to redress former injustices is inherent in the solutions proposed by climate change actions; and
WHEREAS, the Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan builds upon the 2021 KC Regional Climate Action Plan developed by a coalition led by Climate Action KC and the Mid-America Regional Council and success will only be achieved if there is equitable access to the benefits among the entire population of the metropolitan area without regard to race, gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, income, age, disability or any other classification; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of Kansas City has adopted, in addition to the 2008 Climate Protection Plan, a number of ordinances and resolutions over time to address climate impacts including 070830, 071216, 080091, 080543, 080736, 080754, 090461, 100245, 110235, 110245, 150299, 150965, 170484, 170586, 170949, 180475, 181000, 190233, 190475, 190760, 200005, 200143, 200396, and 200719; NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. The City adopts the Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan as a framework for reaching our climate goals, as amended by Council as follows:
• Strategy E: Energy Supply - Providing Clean and Affordable Energy
o Change “This Climate Action Section focuses on leveraging these technologies to provide Kansas City with clean, affordable, reliable energy” to “Kansas City should pursue a portfolio that factors in the impacts of reliability and affordability of customers as the city moves toward a clean energy future.” (Page 47)
• Strategy B-3: Ensure Climate-Ready, Efficient Construction
o Change “clean electricity” to “clean energy” (Page 69)
• Strategy B-4: Promote Equitable Building Decarbonization
o Change Cost Savings from “None” to “Unknown” (Page 29)
o Change “run on clean electricity” to “run on clean energy” (Page 70)
o Change the study referenced from: “A study from the Rocky Mountain Institute showed that children living in homes with gas stoves are 42% more likely to suffer asthma symptoms than those living in homes with electric stoves (Seals & Krasner, 2020).” to “In June 2022, the American Medical Association adopted a resolution recognizing the association between the use of gas stoves, indoor nitrogen dioxide levels and asthma; and calling for policies "to assist with mitigation of cost to encourage the transition from gas stoves to electric stoves in an equitable manner."” (Page 71)
Section 2. The City reaffirms that climate protection and greenhouse gas reduction should be key factors in all decisions and actions by the City and henceforth requires that all future relevant plans, policies, and other initiatives incorporate the goals of the Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan as previously noted in Resolution No. 210967.
Section 3. The City commits to keeping the concerns of climate vulnerable communities central to climate planning and implementation processes and invites and encourages such communities to actively participate in the implementation of the Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan.
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