Cincinnati, OH Climate Protection Action Plan

Type: Policy
Status: Adopted
Source File: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cmgr/downloads/cmgr_pdf18279.pdf
Description:
Cincinnati’s Climate Protection Committee Develops Road Map to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The City of Cincinnati's Climate Protection Steering Committee took its first look Thursday evening at the City’s
Climate Action Plan, a road map for how Cincinnati will reduce its contribution to global climate change. The
meeting outlined the City’s green house gas (GHG) emissions inventory, the recommended GHG emission
reduction goals, and the preliminary plans on how Cincinnati will achieve those goals. The Climate Protection
Steering Committee includes 18 members of the community appointed by Mayor Mallory and charged by City
Council with developing a Climate Action Plan for Cincinnati incorporating broad community input by April
2008.
The preliminary results of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory revealed that Cincinnati produced
8.9 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2006, down slightly from the City’s emissions of 9 million tons
in 2000. At 23.4 tons per person per year, Cincinnati is 6% more carbon efficient than the national average of
25 tons per person. Cincinnati’s GHG emissions come primarily from the following uses: commercial energy
use (39%); transportation (25%); residential energy use (18%); industrial energy use (15%); and waste
disposal (3%).
The Committee received a preliminary recommendation for Cincinnati to reduce its GHG emissions by 10% by
2012 (short term goal); 40% by 2027 (mid term goal); and 86% by 2050 (long term goal). To achieve the
short-term goal, Cincinnati must reduce its GHG emissions by 619,000 tons per year by 2012. Most scientists
believe that global emissions must be reduced at least 80% by 2050 to stabilize the planet’s climate at a
tolerable level.
Steering Committee members also considered preliminary recommendations on how to achieve GHG emission
reductions while saving money, enhancing the local economy, and promoting other local priorities.
Recommendations were provided for five sectors including: energy, transportation, land use, waste
management, and advocacy. Additional work is ongoing to quantify the emission reductions, financial costs
and benefits, and non-financial costs and benefits of a wide range of proposed GHG reduction measures.
The Steering Committee includes leaders representing business, government, environmental, community, civic
and labor organizations. The final plan will include recommendations developed by five Task Teams, including
more than 120 volunteer members, in the areas of land use, waste, energy, and transportation with the goal
of changing citizen behavior for a more sustainable lifestyle in Cincinnati. Vice Mayor David Crowley chaired
the Committee meeting.
The Steering Committee will hold a public hearing to receive input on the draft Climate Action Plan on
February 21, 2008.
For more information contact Larry Falkin, Director of the Office of Environmental Quality.
Download the 212-page Climate Protection Action Plan.
Category:City Governments
Category:Climate Policy
Category:Ohio
Category:Policies