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Roanoke
County Sets
Aggressive Goals for GHG Reduction February 24, 2009 - Culminating nearly two years of planning and analysis, the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors approved three resolutions yesterday, paving the way for a multi-year campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions are widely acknowledged to be a principal cause of global climate change. Prior to introducing the resolutions, Cave Spring District Supervisor Charlotte Moore acknowledged the work of county staff, local scientists who provided technical expertise, Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition and several of its affiliates, and Roanoke Cement, a Titan America Company that provided funding for expert assistance to the County in this project. All three resolutions passed by unanimous vote of the five members of the Board of Supervisors. Following the Board action, Roanoke Valley
Cool Cities Coalition's Diana Christopulos commented, "We're so
grateful to Charlotte Moore, without whose efforts this great
achievement might not have been possible. We are very excited
to be a part of this landmark decision, and we look forward to
working with the new citizens' committee, the Board of
Supervisors, and county staff, as they sustain their quest to
reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and strive toward a smart,
clean energy future for our community."
The first resolution was to accept the report
of the ICLEI Planning Group, a task force of county officials and
staff, academic consultants, and volunteers. This report
detailed the measurement of the carbon footprint of the entire
Roanoke County Community, with separate statistics for county
government operations. The carbon footprint is a calculation
of the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere as
a result of fossil fuel combustion and other activities.
Funding for expert assistance with this project was provided by
Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition through a special grant
from Roanoke Cement, an affiliate of the
coalition.
The second resolution was to set a goal for
reduction of the community's carbon footprint by 3% each year for
the years 2010 to 2020. The goal for the county government
operation is to stabilize the level of emissions by 2012, then
reduce it 3% per year for the years 2013 to 2020. Roanoke
County is the second municipality in the Roanoke Valley to pass such
a resolution. Last September, the City of Roanoke announced a
goal of annual emissions reductions over a five-year period of
2.5% for city government operations and 2% for the community as
a whole.
The third resolution was to authorize the
establishment of and approve the bylaws for an action-oriented
citizen's committee to identify ways to reduce emissions and energy costs by
developing strategies for improved energy efficiency and
conservation in the community. This committee will be known as
Roanoke County Community Leaders Environmental Action Roundtable
(RC-CLEAR) and will consist of two citizens from each of
the five magisterial districts, to be appointed by their
respective Supervisor, plus one senior county staff
member. The Board pledged quick action on appointment
of members of the new committee.
In her comments, Ms. Moore recognized the
following individuals and organizations who helped make these
actions possible:
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