HomeMy WebLinkAboutClimate Element Recording
Presented by: Katie Buchl-Morales, Senior Planner
April 23, 2024
Comprehensive Plan Elements
Climate & Resilience
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Washington State Law
The Growth Management Act was amended in 2023 under HB 1181, requiring cities and counties to integrate climate mitigation and resilience policies into comprehensive plan updates.
The required policy changes will address climate emissions and impacts, while considering co-benefits and integration with other planning documents related to housing, transportation,
and land use.
Jurisdictions must adopt climate policies consistent with the Department of Commerce’s Climate Planning Guidance, which will result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles
traveled.
Policies must consider and prioritize actions that benefit vulnerable communities and promote environmental justice.
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VISION 2050
Renton’s Climate Element aligns with VISION 2050 goals and actions related to climate change in the region, which include:
Substantially reducing emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and reducing climate impacts.
Engaging in regional resilience planning and climate preparedness with a focus on equitable outcomes, particularly for vulnerable communities.
Helping cities and counties to incorporate emission reductions and adaptation measures in their comprehensive planning.
Guiding land use plan updates to improve climate adaptation and resilience and implement measures to address climate hazards.
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King County Countywide Planning Policies
Climate action, mitigation, and resilience must be incorporated into comprehensive plans, focusing on sustainable land use, multimodal transportation, and energy infrastructure.
Plan for development patterns that minimize emissions and enhance resiliency.
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Clean Economy Strategy 2.0
Serves as a roadmap of local policies to reduce Renton’s GHG emissions, enhance environmental sustainability, and prepare for climate change, while maintaining and building a strong
economy.
Rooted in the best available climate science, aligned with regional targets, and tailored to the Renton community.
Recommends city-wide planning efforts to move towards a vision of net zero emissions and community resilience in the face of climate impacts.
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Climate and Resiliency Element
The Climate and Resiliency Element is organized into the three sections:
Implementation and Monitoring
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction
Zoning and Sustainable Development
Transportation
Waste Prevention and Management
Carbon Sequestration in Natural Systems
Resilience
Resilience in the Built Environment
Resilient Communities and Emergency Preparedness
Resilient Ecosystems
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Implementation & Monitoring
Under the GMA, counties and cities with specific population criteria must submit an implementation progress report to Commerce five years after revising their comprehensive plan.
The Implementation and Monitoring section of Renton’s Climate Element supports monitoring and reporting on the GHG reduction targets adopted through the City’s Clean Economy Strategy
2.0, as well as monitoring changes to vehicle miles traveled.
Renton has adopted the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) targets, as follows:
Reduce 2007 greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.
Reduce 2007 greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2040.
Reduce 2007 greenhouse gas emissions by 95% and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
Implementation and Monitoring Goals
Goal C-A: Increase the City’s capacity to monitor and report on climate action implementation.
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Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction
Renton completed a communitywide greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory for 2019, detailed within the CES 2.0, which informed the identification of mitigation targets to assess the City’s progress
over time.
Zoning and Sustainable Development Goals
Goal C-B: Foster higher-intensity land uses in mixed-use centers, neighborhoods, and transit corridors that address the need for housing for all economic segments.
Goal C-C: Support and incentivize building and energy codes and policies that reduce energy use, encourage sustainable construction practices, phase out fossil fuel use, and support
clean energy.
Goal C-D: Increase the energy efficiency of existing buildings through retrofits that promote building decarbonization. These efforts will target the integration of renewable energy
sources, implementation of energy-efficient systems, and the prioritization of lower-carbon building materials.
55% - Energy
40% - Transportation
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Resilience
The Climate and Resilience Element seeks to address the unique climate vulnerabilities of Renton’s communities, resources, and infrastructure. As detailed in the CES 2.0, climate impacts
are already occurring and are projected to intensify in the coming years. These impacts include:
Continued wildfire smoke episodes, which severely degrade local air quality.
Variable precipitation patterns, leading to increased flooding, landslides, and drought.
Increased temperatures, which will reduce snowpack, impacting water supplies and streams, in addition to stressing critical infrastructure, the energy grid, and ecosystems.
Resilience in the Built Environment Goals
Goal C-H: Implement strategic and equitable land use planning that emphasizes the prevention of community displacement caused or exacerbated by climate change impacts.
Goal C-I: Prepare for climate impacts expected to pose the biggest threat to Renton’s communities and infrastructure - including wildfire smoke, flooding and landslides, drought, and
extreme heat. Seek to minimize the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities.
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Plans Adopted by Reference
Clean Economy Strategy 2.0
Renton Trails and Bicycle Master Plan
Renton Transportation Improvement Program
Renton EV Implementation Plan
Stormwater Management Program Plan
Sustainable Materials Management Plan
Parks, Recreation, and Natural Areas Plan
Urban Forest Management Plan
Hazard Mitigation Plan
2022 Stormwater Management Program Plan
Urban Forest Management Plan
Parks, Recreation, and Natural Areas Plan
Forthcoming sustainable materials management plan
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Next Steps
www.rentonwa.gov/comprehensiveplan
Public Hearing on May 1, 2024
Questions or comments?
PlanUpdate@RentonWA.gov
Take the Survey!
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