Alliance for Community Trees : Jobs

Seattle, WA (June 15, 2008)- This report on U.S. cities' efforts to conserve energy and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that threaten our planet has been prepared for the Mayors Climate Protection Summit in Seattle. It is based on information submitted to The U.S. Conference of Mayors by mayors who applied for the First Annual Mayors' Climate Protection Awards, announced in June during our 2007 Annual Conference of Mayors in Los Angeles, and by mayors planning to participate in the Seattle Summit.

Two years ago the Conference of Mayors unanimously endorsed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, an initiative launched by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels in which participating cities are committed to:

1. Striving to meet or beat the Kyoto Protocol targets in their own communities, through actions ranging from anti-sprawl land-use policies to urban forest restoration projects to public information campaigns.

2. Urging their state governments, and the federal government, to enact policies and programs to meet or beat the greenhouse gas emission reduction target suggested for the United States in the Kyoto Protocol - a seven percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2012.

3. Urging the U.S. Congress to pass greenhouse gas reduction legislation which would establish a national emission trading system.

This report provides a wide range of illustrations of how cities are tackling the need to conserve energy and other resources and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and what they are accomplishing as a result of their efforts. These best practices vary greatly in size, scope, cost, and focus. Some are well established and some are just getting underway, but all have ideas to offer on how to protect our cities today and our planet in the years ahead.