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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCA-0003 - Climate changePROPOSAL NO. CA -3 (For Commission Use Only) 2018-2020 HAWAII COUNTY CHARTER COMMISSION CHARTER AMENDMENT PROPOSAL FORM 1. GENERAL INFORMATION Name of Commission Member: Michelle Galimba 2. If applicable, list the Section number(s) of the charter provision(s) to be deleted or amended: 3. Provide a brief description of the purpose of the proposed charter amendment; include a description of the issue the proposal would address: Climate change/climate instability caused by carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions threatens the County of Hawaii through sea -level change, ocean acidification, increased flooding and droughts, and general increased risk. The activities associated with greenhouse gas emissions also cause environmental damage caused by pollution and habitat destruction, it is in the best interests of the County of Hawaii to carefully manage its carbon emissions and strive for carbon/greenhouse gas neutrality. In addition greenhouse gas/carbon sequestration and the greenhouse gas/carbon credit market provides opportunities for economic development for the agricultural sector and for environmental remediation business in the County of Hawaii. Each County and the State of Hawaii have made a commitment to work towards carbon neutrality. 4. If the proposal is based on a provision(s) in the charter or law of another jurisdiction, name the jurisdiction and, if possible, attach a copy of the relevant provision(s). City and County of Honolulu Charter: Section 6-107. Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency — There shall be an office of climate change, sustainability and resiliency headed by an executive for climate change, sustainability and resiliency who shall be appointed and may be removed by the mayor. The executive for climate change, sustainability and resiliency shall: (a) Seek local information from scientists and track climate change science and potential impacts on city facilities. (b) Coordinate actions and policies of departments within the city to: (1) Increase community preparedness. (2) Protect economic activity. (3) Protect the coastal areas and beaches. (4) Develop resilient infrastructure in response to the effects from climate changes. (c) Develop or coordinate city policies and programs that will improve environmental performance of city operations and advance environmental priorities. (d) Integrate sustainable and environmental values into city plans, programs and policies. (e) Promote resiliency of communities and coastal areas. (f) Report to the mayor and council regarding overall performance in meeting sustainability and environmental targets and objectives. (g) Coordinate with federal and state agencies regarding climate change, sustainability and the environment. (h) Convene a climate change commission consisting of five members with 1 of 3 Form CA -1 Revised 8/29/18 expertise in climate change in Hawaii, which Commission shall meet no less than twice annually for the purpose of gathering the latest science and information on climate change effects in the city and providing advice as is deemed appropriate to the executive for climate change and sustainability, the mayor, council and executive departments of the city. (2016 General Election Charter Amendment Question No. 7) 5. If the proposal is based on any written materials you have, please attach a copy with a citation to its source. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/session48/pr181008P48spmen.pdf 6. Attach the text of the proposed charter amendment in Ramseyer format (see below). Ramseyer Format, if proposing: Amendments to Existing Charter Provisions Any language being proposed to be added to the Charter shall be underscored. Any language being proposed to be deleted from the Charter shall be [bracketed and stricken] . Replacing Existing Charter Provisions in their Entirety Clearly indicate the article(s), chapter(s), and/or section(s) of the Charter to be proposed to be deleted, and provide the text of any provisions proposed to replace the deleted material. New Charter Provisions Provide the text of the new provision(s) and, if possible, indicate where in the Charter the new material should be inserted. 2 of 3 Form CA -1 Revised 8/29/18 Proposed Charter Amendment to establish a Climate Change and Resiliency Commission and Reporting and Reduction Requirements for all County Offices "Section . Climate Change and Resiliency Commission. There shall be a climate change and resiliency commission comprised of seven members. Five members shall be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council as prescribed in Section 13-4, and shall have expertise in climate change or in natural resource management, environmental policy, economic policy, community capacity -building, agriculture, energy, transportation, or public health and safety. The director of planning and the director of research and development, or their designated representatives, shall serve as the remaining two members. The commission shall meet no less than twice annually to gather information on the county's progress towards goals and targets related to reducing or off -setting carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions and increasing infrastructural and systemic resilience to climate - related risks. The commission shall report annually to the council and mayor on its findings and activities, and provide advice related to climate change and resiliency to the mayor, council and executive departments of the County." "Section . Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Reporting and Reduction. Each director or head of any department, agency or other county office shall provide an annual report to the climate change and resiliency commission, the council and mayor that provides in detail: .b1 The amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced during its operations for the previous year; and f� Goals, plans and objectives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to become net carbon neutral by 2030. The annual report shall be provided on or before June 30 of each year." 3 of 3 Form CA -1 Revised 8/29/18 2018/24/PR Id 0 VI° R INA 1E INI"r,i,4, I. PAP,ti EII IPCC PRESS RELEASE tl 8 October 2018 Summary for Policymakers of IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C approved by governments INCHEON, Republic of Korea, 8 Oct - Limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require rapid, far- reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society, the IPCC said in a new assessment. With clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems, limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C could go hand in hand with ensuring a more sustainable and equitable society, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said on Monday. The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C was approved by the IPCC on Saturday in Incheon, Republic of Korea. It will be a key scientific input into the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December, when governments review the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change. "With more than 6,000 scientific references cited and the dedicated contribution of thousands of expert and government reviewers worldwide, this important report testifies to the breadth and policy relevance of the IPCC," said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC. Ninety-one authors and review editors from 40 countries prepared the IPCC report in response to an invitation from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) when it adopted the Paris Agreement in 2015. The report's full name is Global Warming of 1.5°C, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre -industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. "One of the key messages that comes out very strongly from this report is that we are already seeing the consequences of 1 °C of global warming through more extreme weather, rising sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice, among other changes," said Panmao Zhai, Co -Chair of IPCC Working Group I. The report highlights a number of climate change impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C, or more. For instance, by 2100, global sea level rise would be 10 cm lower with global warming of 1.5°C compared with 2°C. The likelihood of an Arctic Ocean free of sea ice in summer would be once per century with global warming of 1.5°C, compared with at least once per decade with 2°C. Coral reefs would decline by 70-90 percent with global warming of 1.5°C, whereas virtually all (> 99 percent) would be lost with 2°C. "Every extra bit of warming matters, especially since warming of 1.5°C or higher increases the risk associated with long-lasting or irreversible changes, such as the loss of some ecosystems," said Hans -Otto Partner, Co -Chair of IPCC Working Group II. Limiting global warming would also give people and ecosystems more room to adapt and remain below relevant risk thresholds, added Partner. The report also examines pathways available to limit warming to 1.5°C, what it would take to achieve them and what the consequences could ,e. IPCC Secretariat t i A` clo WMO 7 bis, Avenue de la Pais C.P: 2300 • CH -1211 Geneva 2 • Switzerland "The good news is that some of the kinds of actions that would be needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C are already underway around the world, but they would need to accelerate," said Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Co -Chair of Working Group I. The report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require "rapid and far-reaching" transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human -caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero' around 2050. This means that any remaining emissions would need to be balanced by removing CO2from the air. "Limiting warming to 1.5°C is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented changes," said Jim Skea, Co -Chair of IPCC Working Group III. Allowing the global temperature to temporarily exceed or `overshoot' 1.5°C would mean a greater reliance on techniques that remove CO2from the air to return global temperature to below 1.5°C by 2100. The effectiveness of such techniques are unproven at large scale and some may carry significant risks for sustainable development, the report notes. "Limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared with 2°C would reduce challenging impacts on ecosystems, human health and well-being, making it easier to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals," said Priyardarshi Shukla, Co -Chair of IPCC Working Group III. The decisions we make today are critical in ensuring a safe and sustainable world for everyone, both now and in the future, said Debra Roberts, Co -Chair of IPCC Working Group II. "This report gives policymakers and practitioners the information they need to make decisions that tackle climate change while considering local context and people's needs. The next few years are probably the most important in our history," she said. The IPCC is the leading world body for assessing the science related to climate change, its impacts and potential future risks, and possible response options. The report was prepared under the scientific leadership of all three IPCC working groups. Working Group I assesses the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II addresses impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and Working Group III deals with the mitigation of climate change. The Paris Agreement adopted by 195 nations at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in December 2015 included the aim of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change by "holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre- industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre -industrial levels." As part of the decision to adopt the Paris Agreement, the IPCC was invited to produce, in 2018, a Special Report on global warming of 1.5°C above pre -industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways. The IPCC accepted the invitation, adding that the Special Report would look at these issues in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. Global Warming of 1.5°C is the first in a series of Special Reports to be produced in the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Cycle. Next year the IPCC will release the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, and Climate Change and Land, which looks at how climate change affects land use. The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) presents the key findings of the Special Report, based on the assessment of the available scientific, technical and socio-economic literature relevant to global warming of 1.5°C. The Summary for Policymakers of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15) is available at http:// .ipcc.ch/report/sr15/ or www.ipcc.ch. Key statistics of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C 91 authors from 44 citizenships and 40 countries of residence - 14 Coordinating Lead Authors (CLAs) - 60 Lead authors (LAs) - 17 Review Editors (REs) 133 Contributing authors (CAs) Over 6,000 cited references A total of 42,001 expert and government review comments (First Order Draft 12,895; Second Order Draft 25,476; Final Government Draft: 3,630) For more information, contact: IPCC Press Office, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int Werani Zabula +41 79 108 3157 or Nina Peeva +41 79 516 7068 Follow IPCC on M Facebook, Twitter , Notes for editors Linkedln and 1 nstagram The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C , known as SR15, is being prepared in response to an invitation from the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2015, when they reached the Paris Agreement, and will inform the Talanoa Dialogue at the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24). The Talanoa Dialogue will take stock of the collective efforts of Parties in relation to progress towards the long- term goal of the Paris Agreement, and to inform the preparation of nationally determined contributions. Details of the report, including the approved outline, can be found on the report page. The report was prepared under the joint scientific leadership of all three IPCC Working Groups, with support from the Working Group I Technical Support Unit. What is the IPCC? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments concerning climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation strategies. It has 195 member states. IPCC assessments provide governments, at all levels, with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies. IPCC assessments are a key input into the international negotiations to tackle climate change. IPCC reports are drafted and reviewed in several stages, thus guaranteeing objectivity and transparency. The IPCC assesses the thousands of scientific papers published each year to tell policymakers what we know and don't know about the risks related to climate change. The IPCC identifies where there is agreement in the scientific community, where there are differences of opinion, and where further research is needed. It does not conduct its own research. To produce its reports, the IPCC mobilizes hundreds of scientists. These scientists and officials are drawn from diverse backgrounds. Only a dozen permanent staff work in the IPCC's Secretariat. The IPCC has three working groups: Working Group I, dealing with the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II, dealing with impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and Working Group III, dealing with the mitigation of climate change. It also has a Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories that develops methodologies for measuring emissions and removals. IPCC Assessment Reports consist of contributions from each of the three working groups and a Synthesis Report. Special Reports undertake an assessment of cross -disciplinary issues that span more than one working group and are shorter and more focused than the main assessments. Sixth Assessment Cycle At its 41st Session in February 2015, the IPCC decided to produce a Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). At its 42nd Session in October 2015 it elected a new Bureau that would oversee the work on this report and Special Reports to be produced in the assessment cycle. At its 43rd Session in April 2016, it decided to produce three Special Reports, a Methodology Report and AR6. The Methodology Report to refine the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories will be delivered in 2019. Besides Global Warming of 1.5°C, the IPCC will finalize two further special reports in 2019: the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate and Climate Change and Land: an IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. The AR6 Synthesis Report will be finalized in the first half of 2022, following the three working group contributions to AR6 in 2021. For more information, including links to the IPCC reports, go to: www. i pcc.ch