The Eugene City Council recently adopted two recommendations from the Sustainability Commission that will move City of Eugene operations toward becoming "carbon neutral" and develop a community plan to help address climate change in Eugene. The Council adopted a goal that by 2020, all City-owned facilities and City operations shall reduce net carbon emissions to zero, or if that is not possible, that they cancel all remaining emissions through approved local offsets. The Council also directed City staff to develop an annual work plan for Council approval that outlines recommended implementation strategies for reaching this goal and analyzes associated costs and resource savings. The two proposals were the first set of recommendations to come to the Council from the newly-created Sustainability Commission.

The City of Eugene has been very proactive in reducing its carbon emissions in a number of significant ways including through active energy management, use of hybrids in the City fleet, capture and use of methane at the wastewater treatment plant and providing bus passes to employees. The City recently finished updating a greenhouse gas inventory for City operations. The final inventory report, set for release in late October 2008, finds that emissions have remained the same from 2000 to 2005 despite the increase in City employees and services provided to the community. However, City operations still produce significant volumes of greenhouse gas, and a specific emissions reduction goal and a coordinated City approach will enhance the effort to decrease emissions and ensure wise use of resources.

Will Shaver, chair of the Sustainability Commission said, "I'm pleased that the entire Council was able to commit to carbon neutrality for City facilities and operations. It is an important step in a long journey toward a more sustainable community."

The second Sustainability Commission recommendation approved by the City Council states that the City of Eugene shall, in conjunction with a wide variety of community partners, develop a community climate action plan within 18 months that will: 1) set a carbon emission reduction goal and establish targets for achieving that goal; (2) identify strategies to achieve the targets; (3) identify expected climate change impacts and community responses;

(4) develop measures for tracking success, (5) include financial impacts; and (6) provide annual reports to the Sustainability Commission and periodic progress reports back to the community.

The City of Eugene strives to lead by example and to serve as a catalyst in creating a more sustainable community. While City operations contribute to local carbon emissions, the collective impact from all sources at the community, metro and regional level is of far greater significance. The City, in conjunction with several community partners, completed a Eugene Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report in July 2007. The community action planning effort recommended by the Sustainability Commission and approved by Council is a vital next step.

These two recommendations were first outlined in the Sustainable Business Initiative (SBI) taskforce report. Three other key recommendations of the SBI report that have been implemented are the creation of the City’s Sustainability office, establishment of the Sustainability Commission, which held its first meeting in November 2007, and adoption of a resolution committing the City to sustainable practices and to businesses that produce sustainable products and services. The 16-member SBI taskforce obtained the input of more than 750 citizens and business and civic leaders in developing its report.

The second set of Sustainability Commission recommendations will be presented to the City Council early in 2009.