Berkeley, CA

Berkeley is striving to exceed the emission reduction targets originally set for the U.S. under the Kyoto Protocol through its participation in the ICLEI-US Cities for Climate Protection Campaign.

In 1995, the City of Berkeley adopted a goal to reduce the City's greenhouse gas production by 15% below 1990 levels by the year 2010 using strategies identified in the City's Climate Action Plan (The Kyoto Protocol established a 7% reduction for the United States.)

The City is actively reducing greenhouse gas emissions by using bio-fuels in its diesel vehicles, purchasing hybrid vehicles for the City's fleet, making significant strides in recycling and composting, and in applying the Precautionary Principle to its purchasing of janitorial products. The city is applying for membership in the Chicago Climate Exchange and has joined Oakland and other cities in the region in pursuing Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), a program that will enable the city to purchase and distribute electricity to its residents and businesses. Once CCA has been implemented, the City will have more control over the source of the power its distributes, which should result in increased purchases from rewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

KyotoUSA is working with the City of Berkeley to make an even greater commitment to its reduction of greenhouse gases with the goal of eventually reaching a "net-zero" emission rate.

For Berkeley Certified Green Businesses, see:

http://www.cityofberkeley.info/sustainable/business/default.html