Bay Area Mayors Sign Sustainability Compact

The Bay Area’s Climate Change Compact could spur further growth and development in sustainable and cleantech businesses.

Mayors of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose signed on to the public-private compact March 6.

The San Francisco Chronicle ran a column in favor of the compact, jointly penned by Ron Dellums, mayor of Oakland, Gavin Newsom, mayor of San Francisco and Chuck Reed, mayor of San Jose.

As reported by the San Jose Mercury News, here are details of the Climate Change Compact:

• “Establish an example reference standard for “baseline” green building and rooftop solar practices by the end of 2010.
• Encourage transportation mode-shifts, such as networked work locations, bicycling and public transit, to reduce 2008 baseline gasoline consumption 3 percent by the end of 2013 and 8 percent by the end of 2018.
• From a 2008 baseline, increase the use of renewable sources for electrical energy 30 percent by the end of 2013 and 50 percent by the end of 2018.
• Through conservation and energy efficiency, reduce electrical energy usage in buildings from a 2008 baseline an average of 10 percent by the end of 2013 and 15 percent by the end of 2018.
• Increase the available blue and white collar “clean and green workforce” course/trainings by 2013 and help place 20,000 trainees and graduates in the labor force in that time.From a 2008 baseline, decrease community water consumption 15 percent by the end of 2013 and 20 percent by the end of 2018 and increase water recycling rates 10 percent by the end of 2013 and 15 percent by the end of 2018.
• Develop and adopt municipal and organizational climate adaptation plans by the end of 2013 to increase resiliency to the impacts of climate change.
• Implement a common, ongoing region-wide public information campaign by the end of 2010, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase community resiliency.
• Increase solid waste diversion from landfills to 75 percent by the end of 2013 and achieve zero waste by the end of 2020.
• Increase the number of zero emission and other advanced ultra-low emission light duty vehicles to 10 percent of municipal fleets by the end of 2013, and to 25 percent by the end of 2018.”