CLIMATE ACTION PLAN - City of Urbana

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INTRODUCTION
Never in the past 1,000 years has the planet warmed at a faster rate than in the past century, and the most recent
decade has been the warmest on record.
The overwhelming scientific consensus is that human activity is changing our climate, in large part due to the burning of
fossil fuels which create heat-trapping “greenhouse gases” (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO 2
). Continued warming at
this rate can result in decreased agricultural output, increased catastrophic weather events such as droughts and floods,
and the displacement of entire populations due to rising sea levels.
Although the United States accounts for only 4 percent of the world’s population, it is responsible for emitting 20 percent
of the world’s greenhouse gases. As per Urbana’s baseline emissions inventory the community was responsible for
548,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent units (MT CO 2
e) in 2007. At current rates of increase, Urbana’s output
can be expected to increase 16 percent by 2020. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions can potentially slow the rate of
climate change and decrease overall effects. A Climate Action Plan is a guide for reducing community-wide greenhouse
gas emissions and planning community wide adaptation to potential climate change related phenomena.
Responding to the local and global concerns, Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection
Agreement in 2007, and since then the City has joined the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives
(ICLEI) Cities for Climate Protection® (CCP) campaign (See Appendix A). By doing so, the City of Urbana has pledged to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions for City operations and the larger community. In 2008, the Mayor and the City Council
created a Sustainability Advisory Commission (SAC), composed of seven appointed community members, to identify and
recommend goals to achieve the sustainable management of natural resources, water and energy in particular, to the
Mayor and City Council. The Commission’s initial objective to meet this mandate has been the development of a Climate
Action Plan.
The Climate Action Plan Phase I, developed by the City of Urbana Sustainability Advisory Commission, presents the first
of two phases of a Climate Action Plan for the City of Urbana. Actions suggested for Phase I are designed for prompt
implementation. A second phase with a more comprehensive set of strategies will follow after extended public and
stakeholder input through the implementation of Phase I. Phase I goals and actions respond to residents’ comments
and suggestions received through public input sessions and outreach efforts organized by the City of Urbana between
2008-2012. Recommended strategies are intended for the operations of the municipal government as well as for Urbana
residents and businesses to adopt.
Within Illinois, the City of Chicago and City of Evanston have adopted Climate Action Plans. Other communities in the
United States including Madison, WI; Los Angeles, CA; Denver, CO; Kansas City, MO; Portland, OR; Austin, TX; Salt Lake
City, UT and King County, WA have also adopted a community-wide Climate Action Plan. Closer to Urbana, Dubuque, IA
and Iowa City, IA have completed their greenhouse gas inventory report which is the first step to creating a climate action
plan.
2007 2008 2012
Mayor Laurel Prussing
signed the U.S. Mayors
Climate Protection
Agreement.
The Mayor and the
City Council created a
Sustainability Advisory
Commission (SAC)
PHASE I of the Urbana
Climate Action Plan
adopted.
Baseline year for emissions
calculations.
Sustainable Urbana:
Approach for Strategic
Planning report prepared
Implementation and Monitoring period
Figure 1. Proposed Urbana Climate Action Timeline
City of Urbana
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