Update! Climate Action Compact Community Progress Report

In September 2007, The City of Santa Cruz, The County of Santa Cruz and UC Santa Cruz signed the Climate Action Compact, an unprecedented agreement aimed at placing Santa Cruz in the vanguard of communities taking the lead on climate change solutions.

After working together for a year, the Compact’s principal signatories – UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, former Mayor Emily Reilly, County Supervisors Neal Coonerty and Mark Stone – have released a progress report on their efforts to reduce the community’s carbon footprint and create the conditions for a localized, green economy.

Download the 2008 Progress Report (PDF)

Origins of the Climate Action Compact

In April 2007, former Speaker pro Tempore of the CA Assembly Fred Keeley partnered with Ecology Action to convene local leaders at the Climate Solutions Leadership Summit. Inspired by the idea that Santa Cruz could become a climate-solutions leader, then-Mayor Emily Reilly, County Supervisor Neal Coonerty and UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal joined Mr. Keeley in crafting the Climate Action Compact. The Compact, signed by the partners and other community leaders in September 2007, commits their institutions to:

• Set and present a greenhouse gas reduction goal
  
• Work collaboratively with the other Partners on projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  
• Stimulate investment in the community and foster green economic development
  
• Develop a comprehensive Climate Action Plan

The long-term vision of the Climate Action Compact (PDF) is to place the entire Monterey Bay Area in the vanguard of regions committed to linking economic, social and environmental sustainability.