Title
Adoption of Resolution Urging the United States Congress to Enact a Federal Carbon Fee and Dividend. (Public Works 4205)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jill Keimach, City Manager
Re: Adoption of Resolution Urging the United States Congress to Enact a Federal Carbon Fee and Dividend
BACKGROUND
The City of Alameda's (City) Local Action Plan for Climate Protection, adopted in 2008, establishes a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by the year 2020. The City is tasked with implementing the climate mitigation strategies that are listed in the Local Action Plan for Climate Protection to achieve this goal. The City also relies on state, federal, and international policies to reduce carbon emissions.
Established as a volunteer-driven, non-partisan lobbying organization in 2007, Citizen's Climate Lobby (CCL) has proposed a Revenue Neutral Federal Carbon Fee and Dividend Plan as an effective tool for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The Carbon Fee and Dividend proposes a fee on carbon at the source, and provides rebates back to households, making the measure revenue-neutral. The goal is to equalize the true cost of fossil fuels and to encourage the development of clean energy.
DISCUSSION
Cities and counties from around the country, as well as the state of California, have approved official resolutions in support of a Carbon Fee and Dividend. Municipalities in the Bay Area that have adopted similar resolutions include San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, Albany, Marin County, and Los Altos.
Adopting a Resolution Urging the United States Congress to Enact a Federal Carbon Fee and Dividend is consistent with the City's 2017 Legislative Agenda adopted on March 21, 2017, which supports legislation that promotes environmental protection and sustainability.
An environmental and economic benefits study shows, within 20 years, that a carbon fee and dividend would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by...
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