RESPONSIBLE CITY AGENCY: Management Services; all City departments and divisions
KEYWORDS: Carbon Emissions Offset; Air Travel; Global Warming
Preface
Carbon dioxide emissions are causing the earth’s climate to warm, with catastrophic effects. The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is at its highest level in the past 800,000 years, and about 40% higher than prior to the Industrial Revolution. It is imperative that we do everything we can, as quickly as possible, to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we release into our delicate atmosphere.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, air travel in the United States generates as much as 10% of transportation-based emissions of carbon dioxide. Therefore, in addition to Salt Lake City’s commitment to reduce global warming pollution through promotion of clean, renewable sources of electricity, reduced energy consumption, high-performance and LEED-certified buildings, clean fuel cars, and alternative transportation, Salt Lake City will voluntarily commit to offset the carbon emissions from all City-related air travel.
From this day forward, all carbon dioxide emissions from City-related air travel by City employees will be offset. Every time a City employee travels on behalf of the City, the air miles will be recorded and used to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions directly related to that flight and the necessary offset, thereby neutralizing the City’s impact on global warming due to air travel.
Therefore I enact this Executive Order:
1. General
1.1 For all air travel by City employees on City business, the department of the employee involved shall include on the Employee Disclosure System travel request the number of roundtrip air miles for each trip.
1.2 The department involved will be charged at a rate to be determined, currently estimated at approximately $5 per 2,000 air miles.
1.3 The City will calculate the total number of air miles traveled by City employees on City business from January 1, 2006 to the Effective Date of this Executive Order and will arrange carbon emission offsets for such total mileage.
1.4 The City will enter into a contract with a carbon offset service provider to arrange carbon emission offsets for the air travel covered by this Executive Order.
CURRENT REFERENCES: S.L.C.C. § 2.04.010
Utah Code Ann. § 10-3-1219(2)
EFFECTIVE DATE (Date signed by Mayor): March 8, 2007