Changing the name of the City’s Climate Plan Action Committee’s (“CPAC”) to the "Cambridge Climate Committee."

Dear Councilors:

I am writing to inform you that I have approved changing the name of the City’s Climate Plan Action Committee’s (“CPAC”) at its recommendation, through the Community Development Department (“CDD”). Over the past several months, CPAC has developed a strategic plan to clarify its role, purpose, and value to the City. As part of this endeavor, CPAC desires to change its name to the “Cambridge Climate Committee,” as a more streamlined and accessible name, in connection with the reappointment process for current members and solicitation of new members.

By way of background, on May 24, 1999, the City joined the Cities for Climate Protection campaign, sponsored by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), following the passage of a Council Order. A greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) inventory was conducted by the City during the summer of 1999 to establish a baseline and to project future emissions.

The City Manager appointed members to a Climate Protection Task Force, which in consultation with City staff drafted the Climate Protection Plan to establish goals and outline strategies to achieve GHG emission reductions, including the proposal for the City to adopt a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 20% below 1990 levels by the year 2010.1 The City Manager submitted the Climate Protection Plan to the City Council on December 16, 2002 and the Council adopted the Plan, including the target outlined therein, on that date.

The Plan also included the recommendation for the City Manager to establish a standing advisory committee, which resulted in the creation of CPAC.2 Pursuant to the Plan, the City Manager appoints members to CPAC for approval by the City Council. Because CPAC was created as a result of the 2002 Council Order, I wanted to inform the Council of my approval of CPAC’s requested name change.

Very truly yours,

Yi-An Huang

City Manager

1 https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media/Files/CDD/Climate/climateplans/climate_plan.pdf 2 CPAC’s role is to influence City policies, practices, and community action through education, persuasion, networking, and advocacy. CPAC also assists the City by acting as a sounding board and forum for analyzing climate issues, including monitoring and reporting annually on Cambridge’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2010.