Title
Resolution Adopting the Living A2Zero Ann Arbor Carbon Neutrality Plan
Memorandum
On November 4th, 2019, Ann Arbor City Council unanimously voted to declare a climate emergency and set the goal of becoming carbon neutral, as an entire community, by the year 2030. In that same resolution, Council directed staff to create a living plan for how to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, and present that draft plan to City Council no later than March 31st, 2020.
On March 30th, 2020, Ann Arbor City Council unanimously voted to receive the A2Zero Ann Arbor Carbon Neutrality Plan and directed staff to create a funding / investment plan and a prioritization framework and to bring these documents, along with the Plan, back to Council for re-consideration. Staff created those documents (attached) as well as a Governance Framework (attached) to help identify how the A2Zero Carbon Neutrality Plan will be revised and updated. As such, staff are now bringing the A2Zero Carbon Neutrality Plan back to City Council for formal reconsideration.
As background, to create the Plan, staff undertook an intensive 4-month public engagement process that included more than 60 public events, 3 public surveys, 2 large town halls, the recruitment and engagement of over 60 partner organizations, support from over 80 technical advisors, the hiring of a communications firm, and the engagement of technical consultants to supplement staff in the quantification of the cost and greenhouse gas reduction potential of climate-related actions. In total, this initiative led to the creation of the A2Zero Carbon Neutrality Plan.
The Plan includes 7 overarching strategies and potential 44 sub-actions. The 7 overarching strategies are the heart of the plan and include:
1. Powering our electrical grid with 100% renewable energy.
2. Switching our appliances and vehicles from gasoline, diesel, propane, and natural gas to electric.
3. Significantly improving the energy efficiency in our homes, businesse...
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