Cincinnati Climate Protection Action Plan Approved

Media Release
From Mayor Mark Mallory
City of Cincinnati
For Immediate Release: April 24, 2008
Contact: Jason Barron, 513-352-5356, 614-554-5952 (cell)

Mayor Mallory’s Climate Protection Action Plan Unanimously Recommended by Steering Committee

Cincinnati – Mayor Mallory’s Climate Protection Steering Committee voted unanimously today to endorse a proposed Climate Protection Action Plan and send the recommendations to the Mayor for review. As part of his Green Cincinnati initiative, Mayor Mallory appointed a Climate Protection Steering Committee last November to develop a regional Climate Protection Action Plan. The Mayor will now review the recommendations and advance the plan to City Council. The recommended plan will help to limit the damage caused by global climate change.

“The Committee has provided an aggressive roadmap for how Cincinnati can become a national leader in addressing global climate change and make Cincinnati a healthier place to live,” Mayor Mallory said. “I want to thank the Steering Committee members for their dedication and expertise in crafting a thorough and visionary plan that will produce results.”

The Climate Protection Action Plan does the following:
Identifies 80 specific recommendations for how to reduce contributions to global climate change. The recommended actions generally share several characteristics:
effectively reducing green house gas emissions
reducing dependence on non-renewable energy sources
saving more money than the recommended actions cost
supporting local job creation and the local economy
helping clean Cincinnati’s air, land, and water
improving public health
relying on voluntary rather than regulatory approaches
Quantifies annual contributions to global climate change at 8.5 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) for the City of Cincinnati, and 432,000 tons of CO2e for Cincinnati City Government. At 25.5 tons per person, Cincinnati is slightly above the national average of 24.5 tons per person.
Establishes green house gas emission reduction goals of 8% within 4 years, 40% within 20 years, and 84% by 2050 (42 years).
Presents a strategy to implement the Plan’s recommendations.

The Climate Protection Action Plan has been developed over the last 6 months by over 150 Cincinnati professionals and concerned citizens who volunteered their time to the project, led by a Steering Committee appointed by Mayor Mark Mallory and chaired by Vice Mayor David Crowley. Steering Committee Members who endorsed the Plan today include: Sandra Meyer, President of Duke Energy of Ohio and Kentucky; Brad Mank, Chair of the City’s Environmental Advisory Council; Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper; as well as representatives of the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati USA Chamber of Commerce, the Sierra Club, the U.S. Green Building Council, GE Aviation, the American Institute of Architects; the National Technical Association, and citizen representatives.

The full text of the Climate Protection Action Plan can be viewed on the City’s website at: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cmgr/downloads/cmgr_pdf18280.pdf