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Background and Research
<br />times throughout the spring, fall, and winter of
<br />2008 to help develop the program. This workgroup
<br />included the following organizations:
<br />• League of Minnesota Cities
<br />• University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable
<br />Development Partnerships
<br />• Minnesota Office of Energy Security, Department
<br />of Commerce
<br />• Pollution Prevention and Assistance Division,
<br />Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
<br />• The Minnesota Project
<br />• The Green Institute
<br />• Center for Energy and Environment
<br />• Great Plains Institute for Sustainable
<br />Development
<br />• Urban Land Institute MN
<br />In order to get input from a broader group of
<br />stakeholders, an Advisory Committee was convened
<br />in September and December 2008 to advise on
<br />overall program design questions. In addition, four
<br />technical committees were convened to determine
<br />the specific best practices to promote within four
<br />best practice areas (see Appendices B and C for a list
<br />of Advisory Committee and Technical Committee
<br />members).
<br />Review of related programs
<br />and initiatives
<br />The workgroup team conducted a survey of related
<br />existing and planned programs and initiatives at the
<br />local government or community levels. These can
<br />generally be divided into four categories, although
<br />in reality many efforts are a combination of one or
<br />more of the below categories.
<br />RESOLUTIONS AND
<br />STATEMENTS OF COMMITMENT
<br />Many cities and counties have made various
<br />resolutions and commitments to reduce greenhouse
<br />gases and achieve other environmental goals.
<br />Most of these resolutions have as a primary goal
<br />influencing state or federal policy. The resolutions
<br />suggest implementation of local government
<br />actions, although they do not represent detailed
<br />action plans in and of themselves. The most popular
<br />of these resolutions is the U.S. Mayors Climate
<br />Protection Agreement, initiated by Seattle Mayor
<br />Greg Nickels in 2005. An individual mayor, or
<br />mayor and city, can voluntarily commit to this
<br />agreement, which includes the following provisions:
<br />• Strive to meet or beat the Kyoto Protocol targets
<br />in their own communities, through recommended
<br />categories of actions ranging from anti -sprawl land
<br />use policies to urban forest restoration projects to
<br />public information campaigns;
<br />• Urge their state governments, and the federal
<br />government, to enact policies and programs
<br />to meet or beat the greenhouse gas emissions
<br />reduction target of 7% reduction from 1990 levels
<br />by 2012 as suggested for the United States in the
<br />Kyoto Protocol; and
<br />• Urge the U.S. Congress to pass bipartisan
<br />greenhouse gas reduction legislation.
<br />This resolution has been adopted by 37 cities
<br />in Minnesota .2 Also in 2005 the Sierra Club
<br />launched its Cool Cities campaign empowering
<br />local residents and cities to work more closely with
<br />one another to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
<br />In 2007, the Sierra Club expanded its efforts
<br />to Cool Counties whereby counties commit to
<br />reducing their own contributions to climate change
<br />by modifying internal operations, demonstrating
<br />regional leadership to achieve climate stabilization
<br />and protect our communities, helping communities
<br />2 Cities signing the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement include: Apple Valley, Aurora, Austin, Bemidji, Buhl, Burnsville,
<br />Chisholm, Duluth, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Hibbing, Hutchinson, International Falls, Lake City, Mahtomedi,
<br />Milan, Minneapolis, Mountain Iron, Nevis, Oak Park Heights, Park Rapids, Red Wing, Rochester, Rosemount, Roseville, Sauk
<br />Rapids, St, Cloud, Saint Paul, Sunfish lake, Tower, Turtle River, Virginia, White Bear lake, Winona, Woodbury
<br />4 Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program Proposal
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