Earth Day Report on City Council Agenda April 15

Our annual Earth Day Report goes to City Council in a study session on Monday, April 15 at 5 pm that will give the Council and Palo Alto residents the opportunity to review the City and community’s sustainability progress and accomplishments in 2018.

Highlights of the report include:

• Palo Alto reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions an estimated 56.5 percent from 1990 levels, despite a population increase of 20.4 percent during that same time period.
• City Municipal Operations reduced GHG emissions 65.8 percent from 2005 levels.
• Preliminary numbers for FY 18 show that reported Electric Efficiency savings was 5,957 MWh, or 0.63 percent of the City’s total electric use. This is equivalent to the total power used by 946 California homes in a year. The reported FY 18 Gas Efficiency savings was 251,718 therms, or 0.97 percent of the City’s total gas use. The avoided GHG emissions from the gas efficiency savings is equivalent to taking 290 passenger vehicles off the road for a year.
• Single occupancy vehicle commute trips to downtown Palo Alto continued a downward trend, with drive alone trips reduced 8 percent, transit ridership increased 9 percent, and rideshares increased 4 percent from 2015.
• The City’s various electric vehicle (EV) adoption programs, strategies, and policies contributed to a steady increase in the number of EVs, with approximately 4,000 EVs (6 percent penetration) registered in Palo Alto. This displaces approximately 9,600 MT CO2e per year. It is estimated that one in seven homes in Palo Alto has an EV and one in three new vehicles (29 percent) in the community is an EV.
• Per capita water use increased from 2017 to 2018, due to the easing of state-mandated water use reductions. However, the percentage of recycled water use capacity increased 2 percent in the same time period.
• Council adopted a draft Sea Level Rise Adaptation policy in March 2019.
• Record tree planting and pruning contributed to increase the value of benefits produced by 36,000 public trees to nearly $18 million annually.
• Environmental improvement renovations at the new Palo Alto Baylands Golf Course reduced irrigated turf grass by 40 percent (53 acres) and most of the golf course is now watered with 100 percent recycled water.  
• The City’s waste diversion rate increased from 62 percent in 2007 to 80 percent in 2017.

We hope you can join us in Council Chambers (250 Hamilton St.) or watch on Government Channel 26.