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RESOLUTION DECLARING A CLIMATE EMERGENCY IN DULUTH, MINNESOTA.
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BY COUNCILORS SIPRESS, RANDORF, ANDERSON AND FORSMAN:
WHEREAS, in April 2016 world leaders from 175 countries, including the United States, recognized the threat of climate change and the urgent need to combat it by signing the Paris Agreement, agreeing to "pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius;"
WHEREAS, recent scientific research indicates that to achieve the goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, carbon emissions must be halved by 2030 and in each successive decade;
WHEREAS, the climate crisis poses a grave threat to human communities both globally and locally;
WHEREAS, climate change has direct impacts on public health, safety, and general welfare of residents, as outlined in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's 2017 Population Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Adaptation Framework, attached as Exhibit A, and St. Louis county's 2020 Multi-hazard Mitigation Plan, attached as Exhibit B;
WHEREAS, the impacts of the climate crisis are already being felt in Duluth and in Northeastern Minnesota;
WHEREAS, a transition to a clean energy economy, if not carefully planned, would have a disruptive impact on the livelihoods of many in our community while a well-planned transition may provide expanded job opportunities for local residents;
WHEREAS, at least fourteen nations, over one hundred U.S. municipalities and counties, and the entire European Union have declared climate emergencies in order to focus attention on the need for rapid action to address climate change;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the city of Duluth declares that a climate emergency threatens our city, region, state, nation, humanity and the natural world.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the city of Duluth commits to working for a just transition and climate emergency mobilization effort by accelerating our work to exceed our existing commitment to reduce the city'...
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