Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory Completed
Results to be presented on August 2nd
On September 7, 2016, the Bend City Council adopted a Climate Action Resolution that laid out a clear pathway for Bend to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Now, almost two years later, Bend’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory is complete and action planning is about to get started. Next week is a great opportunity to catch up on how far we’ve come, learn what’s next in the process, and continue to demonstrate our support for local climate action.
A brief refresher…
After the Resolution was adopted, the City of Bend needed help to fund implementation of the Resolution. Working together, the City, The Environmental Center, Oregon League of Conversation Voters, and other local activists set out to raise $175,000.
First, The City of Bend committed $50,000. Next, we called on Bend citizens and businesses to show their support – and you answered, helping us raise $25,000! With those funds in hand, we were then able to secure $100,000 in grants from Partners for Places and donor-advised funds of the Oregon Community Foundation.
Our successful fundraising effort set the stage for what’s happened this year. The City hired a Sustainability Coordinator in March and appointed a citizen-led Climate Action Steering Committee in April, to oversee the climate action planning effort and identify priority action strategies. Lindsey Hardy, Energy Challenge program director at The Environmental Center and Mike O’Neil of Solaire Homebuilders are co-chairs of the committee.
And that gets us to August 2018. Next week, the steering committee will formally receive and discuss the recently completed community greenhouse gas emissions inventory. The inventory identifies the primary sources of Bend’s emissions and forms the foundation for the action planning that will begin this fall.
The inventory will be presented to the Climate Action Steering Committee at its public meeting on Thursday, August 2nd, from 3:00-6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers at City Hall. From 3:00 to 4:30, the consultants that prepared the inventory will present, and then the committee will discuss and ask questions. If time allows, community members may also be able to engage directly with the consultants; otherwise, community members can ask questions during the public input section of the meeting at approximately 5:30. Go here to see the full agenda for the committee’s meeting.
In the coming months, subcommittees will be formed to explore greenhouse gas reduction strategies. Stay tuned for details on subcommittee recruitment, how you can get involved, and meeting schedules. All subcommittee meetings will also be open to the public.
Working together, we’ve catalyzed adoption and implementation of Bend’s Climate Action Resolution.
Thank you for helping us get this far. Now, let’s keep the momentum rolling. Please continue to show up in support of local action to reduce climate pollution! We hope to see you at City Hall on August 2nd.