Hamilton Climate Change Resolution - DRAFT
WHEREAS, a significant portion of Massachusetts' energy is generated from fossil fuels that pollute and endanger our air and water and adversely affect our climate;
WHEREAS, Massachusetts communities are already feeling the impacts of global climate change;
WHEREAS the burning of fossil fuels is a primary cause of climate change;
WHEREAS, Massachusetts has historically been a leader in the fight against climate change, and continues to set a positive example for other states to follow;
WHEREAS, the Hamilton municipal government has made efforts to reduce its carbon emissions and promote clean energy, reduce and reuse waste, reduce its climate vulnerability, and increase climate resiliency, such as by installing ground mounted solar panels on our landfill, implementing Community Choice Aggregation for electricity, installing rooftop solar panels on the library, providing for municipal compost pickup, a Partial Pay as You Throw Program, electric vehicle charging stations, LED streetlight retrofitting, and energy use reduction programs for both municipal and school district buildings;
WHEREAS, Hamilton can potentially obtain 100% of its energy from clean, non-carbon sources, including solar and wind energy coupled with energy storage, and reduce energy use through energy efficiency and conservation measures, and electrify transportation, space heating and water heating;
WHEREAS many of our surrounding North Shore communities have established energy and waste reduction goals, and committed to Climate Action Plans (including Ipswich, Beverly, Salem, Marblehead, Gloucester); and
WHEREAS, setting a goal to achieve ‘Net Zero Carbon Energy’ will result in the use of cleaner energy, increase energy efficiency and resiliency, avoid the negative impacts associated with fossil fuel use, and provide better local control and ownership of energy generation thereby reducing the Town's exposure to volatile fossil fuel energy prices.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Hamilton Select Board, in the County of Essex, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, that the municipal government of Hamilton hereby establishes a goal to achieve Net Zero Carbon Energy no later than 2040, with the following interim measurable goals: 20% reduction in fossil fuels by 2025 (compared to our 2009 baseline), 50% by 2030, and 75% by 2035. This goal is intended to apply to both municipal and school facilities and operations, including the Town’s municipal fleet of vehicles.
And be it further resolved that the Town of Hamilton will endeavor to implement an integrated, transparent, and inclusive planning process to achieve this goal, which process shall encourage the participation of all community members and local businesses.
And be it further resolved that the Town of Hamilton will work with the Town of Wenham and the Hamilton Wenham Regional School District (HWRSD) to develop a collaborative Climate Action planning process that considers sustainability as a part of any financial, infrastructure, open space, land use and development planning for business and residential use considerations.
And be it further resolved that the Master Plan effort currently being undertaken by the Town of Hamilton will include an examination of the locally feasible land use strategies to maximize energy efficiency and renewable energy opportunities; support land, energy, water, and materials conservation strategies, local clean power generation, and innovative industries; and attempt to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of fossil fuels.
And be it further resolved that the Town of Hamilton shall endeavor to utilize environmentally sound power sources, including but not limited to electricity, as the sole or primary power source for any newly constructed or substantially renovated municipal buildings with no on-site fossil fuel combustion, to the extent that such power sources are available and economically feasible.
And be it further resolved that the Town's capital plan will be evaluated to identify possible alternative investments and projects that incorporate electrification, energy conservation, and renewable energy measures.
And be it further resolved that the Town of Hamilton municipal government will support efforts to help residents and businesses increase energy efficiency and the adoption and use of renewable energy.
And be it further resolved that the Town of Hamilton will seek potential grant funds from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Resources or any other funding agency, to achieve the goal of reaching Net Zero Carbon Energy.
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Background for Energy Resolution for the Town of Hamilton: Why should Hamilton reduce its greenhouse gas emissions? Greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels, must be reduced and eventually eliminated to prevent the worst consequences of climate change. In 2018 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued Special Report 15, UPDATE TO 2021 REPORT, which concluded humankind has a mere 12 years left, during which time sufficient and dramatic carbon-emission mitigation strategies must be inaugurated to avoid the global average temperature from rising above the 1.5°C limit which the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement aimed for, while pledging to keep it well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. The IPCC report stated that in order to prevent exceeding the 1.5°C limit, global net anthropogenic CO2 emissions must decline by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net zero around 2050.
While this will require extraordinary and immediate action, it is (as yet) an attainable goal. While the goal of reducing and eventually phasing out all fossil fuel energy use will require robust international and national efforts, cities and towns on every continent and country must be a part of the process if these goals are to be met. It will require substantial cooperation and collaboration between municipal, state, federal, and international government, as well as private and non-governmental organizations. Hamilton, in particular, has a strong incentive for meeting these goals given the Town’s high vulnerability to the effects of climate change. As stewards of our children’s future, we have special responsibilities to minimize the worst consequences of climate change for them and their children. In this regard, Hamilton is confronting both economic and logistical challenges, as well as the moral imperatives of meeting these Zero Carbon Energy Goals.
As part of this resolution, the residents of Hamilton request that the Hamilton Select Board form, empower, and participate in, a Joint Climate Action Committee intended to include representatives from both towns included in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District. Such Committee will position Hamilton for successful grant applications to the MA Department of Environmental Resources as well as other funding sources. The primary strategies for reducing carbon emissions from municipal structures can be categorized into four approaches:
1. Conservation and Efficiency: Reducing all energy use through conservation efforts (e.g., lowering thermostats in winter and turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, installing motion sensors on night lights of all public buildings) and energy efficiency (e.g., installing programmable thermostats, maintaining existing mechanical systems to ensure optimal operational efficiency, LED lighting, Energy Star appliances, and increased building insulation);
2. Replacing Fossil Fuels with Non-Carbon Energy as a Source of Electricity: Increased use of clean, non-carbon energy through the installation of locally-sited solar and wind generation, and purchasing grid-sourced electricity from non-carbon generation only;
3. Electrification of all On-site Building Energy Use & Electrification of Entire Municipal Automobile Fleet: Preventing expansion of fossil fuel usage by requiring all new buildings to be “Net-Zero” (all energy use is offset by on-site renewable energy) and by the electrification of all energy use in new and existing buildings, as well as the municipal transportation fleet to include school buses, police cars, and fire engines. In parallel conjunction concerning these actions, the Planning Board is urged to incorporate into its by-laws, all of these actions concerning new residential or other private buildings going forward.
4. Composting, Recycling, and Plastic Reduction Initiatives: Food waste in our municipal trash ends up incinerated, resulting in considerable energy use and Greenhouse Gas emissions, as well as added costs. Composting avoids these emissions and creates a valuable product. Continuing efforts to remove food waste from our municipal trash will reduce emissions and save the town money. Plastic in our waste stream is also an issue, and reducing overall plastic use (as has been done with the plastic bag ban) is the best solution, while increasing recycling and reuse being equally valuable.
References: 15 IPCC. 2018, summary for policymakers. In: Global warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, H. O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P. R. Shukla, et al. (eds.)]. World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 32 pp. 16 Rhodes CJ. 2019. Only 12 years left to readjust for the 1.5-degree climate change option – Says International Panel on Climate Change report: Current commentary. Science Progress 1–15.
Wenham Climate Change Resolution
Select Board Approval May 18, 2022
WHEREAS, too much of Massachusetts' energy comes from fossil fuels that pollute and endanger our air and water and affect our climate; and
WHEREAS, Massachusetts communities are already feeling the impacts of global climate change; and
WHEREAS the burning of fossil fuels is the primary cause of climate change; and
WHEREAS, Massachusetts has historically been a leader in the fight against climate change, and has a responsibility to continue to set a positive example for other states to follow; and
WHEREAS, the Wenham municipal government is taking steps to reduce its carbon emissions and promote clean energy, reduce and reuse waste, reduce its climate vulnerability, and increase climate resiliency; including: rooftop solar panels on the library, municipal compost pickup, Partial Pay as You Throw Program, LED streetlight retrofitting, energy use reduction programs for municipal & school district buildings;
WHEREAS, Wenham can potentially obtain 100% of its energy from clean, non-carbon sources, including solar and wind energy coupled with energy storage, and reduce energy use through energy efficiency and conservation measures, and electrify transportation, space heating, and water heating;
WHEREAS many of our surrounding North Shore Communities have set climate and energy goals, waste reduction goals, and committed to Climate Action Plans (including Ipswich, Beverly, Salem, Marblehead, Gloucester);
WHEREAS, setting a goal to achieve ‘Net Zero Carbon Energy’ will result in the use of cleaner energy, increase energy efficiency and resiliency, avoid negative impacts associated with fossil fuel use, and provide better local control and ownership of energy generation that reduces the Town's exposure to volatile fossil fuel energy prices; and,
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Wenham Select Board, in the County of Essex, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, that the municipal government of Wenham commits to achieving a Net Zero Carbon Energy goal no later than 2040, with the following interim measurable goals: 20% reduction in fossil fuels by 2025 (compared to our 2009 baseline), 50% by 2030, and 75% by 2035; (for municipal & school facility operations, as well as the municipal fleet of vehicles);
And be it further resolved that the Town of Wenham will address, as soon as reasonably possible in 2022, the Zero Carbon Energy goal through the creation of a state/federal grant and town funded implementation plan, via an integrated, transparent, and inclusive planning process, that encourages the participation of all community members and local businesses;
And be it further resolved that the Town of Wenham will commit to join Hamilton and the HWRSD in a collaborative Climate Action Plan process that actively views all financial, infrastructure, open space, land use and development planning for business and residential uses through a sustainability lens;
And be it further resolved that the Master Plan effort currently being undertaken by the Town of Wenham include examination of the locally feasible land use strategies to maximize energy efficiency and renewable energy opportunities; support land, energy, water, and materials conservation strategies, local clean power generation, and innovative industries, and address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of fossil fuels.
And be it further resolved that ultimately all new and renovated municipal buildings will be fully electric, or another environmentally sound power source, with no on-site fossil fuel combustion;
And be it further resolved that the Town's major capital strategic investment plans will be fully evaluated to identify decision-points where investments and projects will incorporate electrification, energy conservation, and renewable energy installation;
And be it further resolved that the municipal government will support efforts to help residents and businesses increase energy efficiency and the adoption and use of renewable energy.
Climate Change Resolution Background for the Town of Wenham:
Why should Wenham reduce its greenhouse gas emissions? Greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels, must be reduced and eventually eliminated to prevent the worst consequences of climate change. In 2018 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued Special Report 15,
Update to 2021 Report, which concluded humankind has a mere 12 years left, during which time sufficient and dramatic carbon-emission mitigation strategies must be inaugurated to avoid the global average temperature from rising above the 1.5°C limit which the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement aimed for, while pledging to keep it well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. The IPCC report stated that in order to prevent exceeding the 1.5°C limit, global net anthropogenic CO2 emissions must decline by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net zero around 2050.
While this will require extraordinary and immediate action, it is (as yet) an attainable goal. While the goal of reducing and eventually phasing out all fossil fuel energy use will require robust international and national efforts, cities and towns on every continent and country must be a part of the process if these goals are to be met. It will require substantial cooperation and collaboration between municipal, state, federal, and international government, as well as private and non-governmental organizations. Wenham, in particular, has a strong incentive for meeting these goals given the Town’s high vulnerability to the effects of climate change. As stewards of our children’s future, we have special responsibilities to minimize the worst consequences of climate change for them and their children. In this regard, Wenham is confronting both economic and logistical challenges, as well as the moral imperatives of meeting these Zero Carbon Energy Goals.
As part of this resolution, the residents of Wenham request that the Wenham Select Board form, empower, and participate in, a Joint Climate Action Committee intended to include representatives from both towns included in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District. Such Committee will position Wenham for successful grant applications to the MA Department of Environmental Resources as well as other funding sources. The primary strategies for reducing carbon emissions from municipal structures can be categorized into four approaches:
1. Conservation and Efficiency: Reducing all energy use through conservation efforts (e.g., lowering thermostats in winter and turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, installing motion sensors on night lights of all public buildings) and energy efficiency (e.g., installing programmable thermostats, maintaining existing mechanical systems to ensure optimal operational efficiency, LED lighting, Energy Star appliances, and increased building insulation);
2. Replacing Fossil Fuels with Non-Carbon Energy as a Source of Electricity: Increased use of clean, non-carbon energy through the installation of locally-sited solar and wind generation, and purchasing grid-sourced electricity from non-carbon generation only;
3. Electrification of all On-site Building Energy Use & Electrification of Entire Municipal Automobile Fleet: Preventing expansion of fossil fuel usage by requiring all new buildings to be “Net-Zero” (all energy use is offset by on-site renewable energy) and by the electrification of all energy use in new and existing buildings, as well as the municipal transportation fleet to include school buses, police cars, and fire engines. In parallel concerning these actions, the Planning Board is urged to incorporate into its by-laws, all of these actions concerning new residential or other private buildings going forward.
4. Composting, Recycling, and Plastic Reduction Initiatives: Food waste in our municipal trash ends up incinerated, resulting in considerable energy use and Greenhouse Gas emissions, as well as added costs. Composting avoids these emissions and creates a valuable product. Continuing efforts to remove food waste from our municipal trash will reduce emissions and save the town money. Plastic in our waste stream is also an issue, and reducing overall plastic use (as has been done with the plastic bag ban) is the best solution, while increasing recycling and reuse being equally valuable.
References: 15 IPCC. 2018, summary for policymakers. In: Global warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, H. O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P. R. Shukla, et al. (eds.)]. World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 32 pp. 16 Rhodes CJ. 2019. Only 12 years left to readjust for the 1.5-degree climate change option – Says International Panel on Climate Change report: Current commentary. Science Progress 1–15.
Hamilton Wenham Climate Action Team
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