AGENDA #6

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:      Status Report on Community Carbon Reduction (CRed) Program

 

DATE:            June 12, 2006

 

 

PURPOSE

 

The purpose of this memorandum is to report on the progress of the Town of Chapel Hill’s Community Carbon Reduction (CRed) Program.  Dr. Douglas Crawford-Brown of the Carolina Environmental Program at UNC-Chapel Hill has submitted a Status Report detailing this work (Attachment 1).

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

On January 10, 2005, the Council referred to the Council Committee on Sustainability, Energy and Environment a proposal from the Carolina Environmental Program at the University of North Carolina seeking a commitment from the Town to become a Carbon Reduction Project Demonstration Site.

 

On February 11, 2005, the Council Committee on Sustainability, Energy and Environment discussed the proposal with Douglas Crawford-Brown, director of the Carolina Environmental Program.  Dr. Crawford-Brown stated that the Carolina Environmental Program and other departments would commit resources to the project should Chapel Hill join.

 

On April 11, 2005, the Council Committee on Sustainability, Energy and Environment recommended that the Council adopt a resolution agreeing to join the Carolina Environmental Program in its participation in the Carbon Reduction project.

 

On September 12, 2005, the Council received a draft proposal from Dr. Crawford Brown, The Community Carbon Reduction Program: A Collaboration of the Town of Chapel Hill and the Carolina Environmental Program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.  The Council adopted a resolution declaring the Town of Chapel Hill’s intent to participate in the Carbon Reduction project (Attachment 2).


 

DISCUSSION

 

The attached memorandum from Dr. Crawford-Brown details the results of work undertaken in Spring, 2006 by the Carolina Environmental Program toward accomplishing the goals of the CRed-Chapel Hill project.  These results include initial quantification of carbon emissions attributed to Town buildings, streetlights, buses, vehicles, and employee travel in 2005.  Dr. Crawford-Brown has also collected historical emissions data for these sectors.

 

The current assessment by the CRed-Chapel Hill project addresses Town municipal operations exclusively.  Formal participation in the CRed program would require a pledge to reduce total carbon dioxide emissions from municipal operations by at least 60 percent by 2050, to ensure adequate data capture so progress can be monitored, and to develop and implement policies which encourage other sectors within Chapel Hill to work toward carbon dioxide reduction.

 

Collection of data for the CRed project has proceeded in coordination with a similar effort, led by ICLEI Energy Services, to develop an Orange County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan.  Dr. Crawford-Brown, with assistance from students in the Environmental Science and Studies program, has coordinated the collection of data with the larger Orange County plan.  They have collected 2000, 2002, and 2005 emissions data from the commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential sectors located within Town municipal limits.  A preliminary agreement has been reached to use 2002 as the base year for the Orange County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan.  Analysis of data collected from Chapel Hill, Orange County, Carrboro, and Hillsborough will be used to develop greenhouse gas reduction goals and recommend strategies to achieve the goals.  We anticipate the draft Orange County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report to be completed in Fall, 2006.

 

RECOMMENDATIOn

 

Manager Recommendation:  That the Council refer the Status Report and draft pledge from Dr. Crawford-Brown to the Town Manager, Town Attorney and the Council Committee on Sustainability, Energy & Environment for review.

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

  1. June 12, 2006 Status Report from Dr. Douglas Crawford-Brown (p. 3).
  2. September 12, 2005 Memorandum to Mayor and Council (p. 19).