Title
Resolution in Support of Creating a Plan to Achieve Ann Arbor Community-Wide Climate Neutrality by 2030
Memorandum
The City of Ann Arbor has long declared its commitment to climate action, ranging from the creation of an Energy Plan in 1981 to the adoption of the City's Climate Action Plan in 2012 to the creation of the Office of Sustainability and Innovations in 2018.
Despite notable commitments by the City of Ann Arbor and other local governments, states, and national governments, the amount of action to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions has not been commiserate with what science has required to avoid significant climate related impacts. In Ann Arbor alone, over the last 30 years the City has experienced a nearly 1 degree Fahrenheit increase in annual temperature, an increase of over 44% in annual precipitation, and a 37% increase in the total volume of precipitation falling during extreme events. And climate projections show that the City is very likely to experience a 3 to 7 degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature, 12 to 36 more days per year over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and a continued trend of increased annual and extreme precipitation by end of the century is significant actions aren't taken immediately to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Globally, the impacts are even more dire with projections showing significant rises in the world's oceans, the melting of permafrost and ice caps, salt water intrusion into water supplies, life threatening temperatures across much of the world, an increase in the extent and number of wildfires and other extreme weather events such as hurricanes, and significant increases in inland flooding followed by prolonged periods of drought. These changes are already disrupting economies, public safety and wellbeing, social systems, and the overall quality of life for natural and human systems.
In light of these realities, a growing movement of communities and institutions are declaring climate emergencies a...
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