Summary

County, nine cities working together on climate and sustainability efforts

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The Metropolitan King County Council today gave its unanimous approval to a unique County-City partnership designed to enhance the effectiveness of regional efforts on climate change and sustainability efforts.

“The Climate Collaboration is an exciting opportunity to maximize our regional efforts to respond to the climate crisis through cooperation, coordination, and pooled resources,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, prime sponsor of the legislation and Chair of the Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee. “Reducing global greenhouse gas emissions starts with action at the local level.”

“Climate change impacts the environment, health, and quality of life of our entire region regardless of jurisdictional boundaries, which is why cooperation and collaboration are critical,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, a co-sponsor of the legislation. “By working together, we can do more to address climate change and become more sustainable.”

“This Climate Collaboration is more than a pledge, it’s a new era of partnership with cities to make real progress toward reducing climate pollution.” said King County Executive Dow Constantine.

“This is a unique but natural partnership with our cities. Whether it is the threat of flooding or the price of gas, South County residents experience the impacts of climate change,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson. “Through this collaborative, our region will be able to leverage county and city resources to develop strategies to reduce the negative results of climate change.”

In June 2011, King County and several of its cities introduced and pledged their support for a new partnership – the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration. The focus of the Collaboration is to pool both resources and knowledge in the effort to combat the impact of climate change. The adopted ordinance calls for the Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement finalizing the County’s participation in the Collaboration.

The County and the cities involved— Redmond, Renton, Tukwila, Shoreline, Seattle, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Issaquah and Snoqualmie—have pledged to commit funds and staffing to the Collaborative. They will be used to support and enhance projects and programs in focus areas such as green building, using and producing renewable energy, sustainability outreach and education, and alternative transportation.

As the collaboration develops, City and county staff will work to share local best practices and relevant resources, collaborate on related projects and programs, and support regional efforts such as the Growth Management Planning Council’s work to set countywide greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

This partnership implements King County Strategic Plan strategies prioritizing environmental sustainability and building regional partnerships. It also implements specific recommendations for collaboration with cities to reduce climate pollution contained in the Climate motion adopted by the Council on March 5.