| | | | | | | |  | Resolutions - C7 F
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM |
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| | | | | | | | TO: | Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission | | FROM: | Raul J. Aguila, Interim City Manager | | DATE: | April 21, 2021 | | |
| SUBJECT: | A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, RECOGNIZING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSED BY HUMAN ACTIVITY, AND APPROVING THE CITY'S JOINT EFFORT WITH THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, TO ESTABLISH A CLIMATE ACTION GOAL TO ACHIEVE NET ZERO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2050. |
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| | | | | | | | RECOMMENDATION
| The Administration recommends the adoption of the Resolution. |
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| | | | | | | | BACKGROUND/HISTORY
| Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami Beach, and City of Miami, are vulnerable to the effects of climate change given its geography and topography. Scientific models indicate highly likely predicted changes, including temperature increases throughout the years, greater likelihood of stronger and severe storms, an extended drought, rising sea level and increased frequency and severity of heat waves. The City of Miami Beach, along with Miami-Dade County and City of Miami, is implementing Resilient305, a shared strategy to address resilience challenges prioritized through intergovernmental and community collaboration.
To benefit all communities within Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami, and City of Miami Beach must maintain their commitments to climate action, climate resilience, and sustainability policies. Actions to reduce community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions improve community resilience to climate disruption and provide multiple ancillary benefits such as reduced risk through a diversified energy portfolio, reduced air pollution and associated health benefits, and increased mobility choices.
The City of Miami Beach has an extensive legislative history of adopting policies that support community-wide GHG emissions reduction and is currently developing a Climate Action Plan (CAP). The CAP includes guidelines to actions that should be implemented to reduce GHG emissions and further sets short-term GHG emissions reduction targets to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
On March 24, 2021, the Land Use and Sustainability Committee unanimously passed a motion supporting a resolution recognizing the effects of global warming caused by human activity and establishing a climate action goal to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050. |
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| | | | | | | | ANALYSIS
| As per the Paris Climate Agreement, to limit the adverse impacts of climate change, it is imperative that GHG emissions be reduced to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. Furthermore, a special report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that carbon dioxide emissions must be reduced by 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 in order to stabilize a 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature increase to prevent disastrous effects on global climate, ecosystems, and human societies.
Cities and urban areas are in a unique position to combat climate change because they are responsible for producing 70% of climate changing GHG emissions worldwide. The County, City of Miami, and City of Miami Beach are using the same assumptions and shared data for their emissions inventories and forecasts. It is imperative to have cities and counties collaborating on their efforts to reduce GHG emissions and to set interim targets to be able to achieve aggressive long-term targets for GHG emissions reductions.
Through Resilient305, Miami Beach, together with City of Miami and Miami-Dade County, is identifying actions and complementary strategies, that will reduce emissions. Emissions reduction actions from Resilient305 focus on energy and water consumption in buildings (BE305 program), electrifying infrastructure and fleets, prioritizing alternative modes of transportation and evaluating actions on climate and energy justice. By working together and having a unified approach, the City of Miami and City of Miami Beach will accelerate and amplify their climate change mitigation actions. |
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| | | | | | | | SUPPORTING SURVEY DATA
| Less than half of Miami Beach residents are satisfied with the City’s efforts to be a green or sustainable city. Reducing GHG emissions is an important step to increasing satisfaction. |
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| | | | | | | | CONCLUSION
| The Administration recommends the adoption of the Resolution. |
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| | | | | | | | Is this a "Residents Right to Know" item, pursuant to City Code Section 2-14? | | Does this item utilize G.O. Bond Funds? | | Yes | | No | |
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| | | | | | | | Strategic Connection
| Environment & Infrastructure - Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and heat. |
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| | | | | | | | Legislative Tracking Environment and Sustainability |
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| | | | | | | | Sponsor Vice-Mayor Michael Gongora and Co-sponsored by Commissioner Micky Steinberg |
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