The Metropolitan King County Council today unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing King County’s membership in the Chicago Climate Exchange, North America's premier program for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through binding goals and the trading of “carbon credits.”

“Global warming seriously threatens our economy, way of life, and future,” said Council Chair Larry Phillips, lead sponsor of the ordinance. “If we ignore the problem, or reduce greenhouse gas emissions simply through voluntary efforts in the United States, we are imperiling not only the environment we’ve fought so hard to protect, but the health of ourselves, our children, and grandchildren. By stepping forward now and making a binding commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, King County has a chance to lead the way to a solution.”

“From our biodiesel Metro buses to the ‘Acting Locally’ initiative, King County is committed to reducing the impact of global warming,” said Councilmember Larry Gossett. “Joining the Climate Exchange is a proactive, voluntary effort to reduce the greenhouse gases that are a primary contributor to global warming.”

More than 135 people attended a Council Town Hall Meeting earlier today in Shoreline to learn about the local impacts of climate change and King County's actions to address them. Presenters highlighted physical impacts, including reduced snowpacks, lower river levels, and a potential tripling of acreage burned in forest fires. Economic impacts discussed included tens of millions of dollars of crop losses in the Yakima River basin, a decline of the Eastern Washington wine industry, and a reduction in days available for the skiing industry. Meeting as the Committee-of-the-Whole, members were also briefed on the mechanics of the Chicago Climate Exchange.

Members of the Chicago Climate Exchange sign binding agreements to reduce carbon emissions. If King County beats the projected targets, it can sell its carbon credits through the Exchange; if the County falls short, it must buy carbon credits.

Groundwork for today’s action was laid by a 2002 motion sponsored by Councilmember Phillips and former Councilmember Cynthia Sullivan; that motion resulted in two comprehensive inventories of greenhouse gas emissions which have positioned the county to excel in this and future carbon markets.

King County’s membership commits the state’s largest local government to meeting annual reduction targets leading to a 6 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. Reduction targets will be based on the county’s emissions from transit, other county vehicles, and use of natural gas and electricity. The county can receive credit for a variety of activities that sequester carbon, such as reforestation.

“We take seriously our responsibility to reduce our climate impacts as a government and a county,” said Councilmember Dow Constantine. “By joining the Chicago Climate Exchange we gain both a structure for measuring King County’s progress and financial benefits from our efforts to combat global warming. This is a forum where we can provide leadership to other local governments across the country.”

“Joining the Exchange will also give King County an opportunity to reshape how it functions on the national level,” said Gossett. “The Exchange now considers emissions from Metro buses as a liability. We hope to change that so we get credit for reducing emissions by getting people out of their single-occupancy vehicles and onto mass transit. We also have the opportunity to get credit for reducing carbon emissions through landfill management and for forest protection and restoration efforts. This is truly an effort that by acting locally, we can have a global impact.”

King County Executive Ron Sims will take today’s Council ordinance with him to the annual conference of the National Association of Counties in Chicago on August 4-8, where he hopes to create a leadership group among county leaders nationwide.

“King County is a national leader on confronting the effects of our changing climate,” said Phillips. “Joining the Chicago Climate Exchange is a strong example of the county tackling a problem that’s both local and global.”

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system and type in “2006-0242”