From City Hall Press Release November 10
November 20, 2006

San Francisco has successfully certified its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory with the California Climate Action Registry, becoming the first city in the U.S. to earn the Registry’s distinction of Climate Action Leader. San Francisco is now publicly and voluntarily reporting its GHG emissions under this rigorous registry program. Measuring greenhouse gas emissions is a key step in determining how to prioritize climate change work.

San Francisco’s Climate Action Program resides at the Department of the Environment (SF Environment), and coordinates with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and other agencies to implement emissions reduction goals the city developed through the Climate Action Plan, MUNI’s Zero Emissions 2020 Plan, and the Electricity Resource Plan. Other activities the city is taking on include expanding energy efficiency and renewable energy in municipal buildings, using clean fuels for city fleets, exploring tidal power under the Golden Gate Bridge and working with businesses and residents to address their individual contribution to climate change. The program also monitors local, state, and national policies and science in an effort to harmonize San Francisco’s progress towards its target of attaining 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, with other efforts.

“Human activities are building up the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and this situation threatens to change the world’s climate, raise sea levels to flood coastal regions like the Bay Area, cause irreparable damage to the environment, and destabilize our economy,” said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. “The enormity of the danger means it’s time for all cities to take action locally, and not follow Washington in denial,” continued the mayor.

The Registry, created by the California Legislature in 2000, is a non-profit public/private partnership that helps companies and organizations throughout the United States to track, publicly report and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Independent third parties certify the results to ensure compliance with Registry protocols and standardization across participants and sectors. Organizations that are willing to meet the accounting standards and third party certification requirements of the Registry show their serious intent to address climate change. The Registry has been widely recognized as the gold standard for public reporting of greenhouse gases.

“San Francisco has shown tremendous leadership and made considerable effort to be the first city in the United States to certify and publicly report their GHG emissions. San Francisco recognizes the importance of verified emissions data,” said Diane Wittenberg, President of the California Climate Action Registry.

San Francisco certified GHG emission report for 2005 is available through the Registry’s website at www.climateregistry.org/CARROT/Public.

Climate Action Plan: SF Environment, the SFPUC, and ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability developed San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan, which Newsom released in 2004. It carves out benchmark greenhouse gas emissions, makes projections on the impacts global warming might have on the region, and outlines specific actions in the key areas of transportation, solid waste management, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. The plan presents scientific projections of up to three-foot rise in sea level. This would compromise existing infrastructure including highways, sewage treatment plants, and roads in addition to submerging parts of the San Francisco International Airport, SBC Park, and Treasure Island under water. The plan also presents steps to aid the city in reducing its emissions.

Zero Emissions 2020 Plan: The Zero Emissions 2020 Plan commits the city to develop a clean air plan for public transit. In coordination with San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI), “Zero Emissions 2020” focuses on the purchase of cleaner transit buses including hybrid diesel-electric buses. The plan also discusses the option of purchasing hydrogen fuel cell buses when they become commercially available in the next ten to fifteen years. To move toward that direction, the Municipal Transportation Agency approved a Request For Proposals to enlist the work from bus manufacturers that will result in the acquisition of a fleet of diesel-electric hybrid buses for MUNI. This will be the first in California where a transit agency purchases the technology, while taking advantage of the California Air Resource Board regulations.

Electricity Resource Plan: SF Environment and SFPUC developed the Electricity Resource Plan after a series of public meetings to leverage existing policy to help shut down power plants in Bayview Hunters Point and Potrero. The plan makes recommendations on energy efficiency, and the production of clean electricity through renewable means including solar, wind, and the ocean tides and waves.

The California Climate Action Registry is a non-profit public/private partnership that serves as a voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) registry to protect, encourage, and promote early actions to reduce GHG emissions. Over 100 major companies, cities, government agencies and NGOs measure and publicly report their GHG emissions through the Registry.