>> good afternoon, everybody. in here. i am really thankful you guys are giving me -- everyone is proud of me, even people who do not even know me. i'm grateful for my family and for everybody. mike, i'm glad you're all right. that was my main concern. i really appreciate you guys so much. i am so overwhelmed right now. i am very thankful and grateful. that is all i really have to say. [laughter] i love everybody and i love you. even if i did not know you, still came out to help you. i did not know who you were or nothing like that. in a good hearted person. i prayed the whole time i was getting you.

i am glad you are standing and i am really grateful. >> thank you. >> come on up, mike. >> i am not much of a speaker. for some reason, at that particular moment, this beautiful lady decided to stop. to me, she is my guardian angel. if she had not have stopped, i do not know what would have happened. i know i would have been there by myself and alone. i really do not know. god bless you. you will always be in my heart. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. thank you. thank you, again, to the family,

for having such a wonderful daughter and a wonderful san francisco citizen. thank you very much. thank you.

>> good afternoon. thank you so much for coming. welcome, and thank you for joining us at the beautiful living room for the california academy of sciences. i am the environmental policy adviser for mayor lee. we are very excited today to be making an announcement about a major carbon reduction milestone that san francisco has met. to make that announcement, i would like to introduce mayor ed lee. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much, everyone, for being here today. i have some great announcements about milestones for our city's efforts, our city's historic and present efforts to reduce carbon emissions, something that all of us, the department of environment, our city, working with agencies like muni and non- profit organization partners and community advocates, as well as

our state and federal government. today, i have two specific announcements. but the one that is exciting to me that i think is probably the most advanced progress that we made in the city, something that began with my predecessor, gavin newsom, when he was mayor did of the last time he made an announcement about the car been emissions reductions that we had, he was able to announce last year, in 2010, that we had reached the kyoto protocol levels of 7% below our 1990 levels. well, today, after updated analysis and a recognition of the efforts that have been made, we have now reached 12% below the 1990 levels. that is a tremendous, tremendous accomplishment for our city. [applause] thank you very much to all of

our partners for doing that. we set a goal, and gavin newsom, again, i really thank him, to get -- because he had this wonderful vision that i got to adopt and visualize with him as city administrator in prior years, to help create, with the department of environment and all of our partners, a way forward with our communities to get to a larger goal. and that goal for next year is 20% below the 1990 levels. certainly we can achieve that. with today's announcement, going to 12%, knowing what we can do, that gap is definitely achievable. by the way, we have accomplished this goal. while the city's population is increasing -- can you imagine that? we have increased our population from we have increased population to about 805,000 residents.

we have increased the use of electricity in our city. we are reducing our carbon emissions. there has got to be a story here for everybody to understand. we did not do this by simply saying we cannot do this or live this way. we did it with three principles in mind. we did it being smarter, less wasteful, and innovative. those three principles have distinguished our city and partners working together. that is why we are on top of the roof of a building that our academy of sciences. together years ago. we got to help oversee it as the public works director.

i want to congratulate the academy of science for being the largest double platinum leed certified building in the world. we want to announce our carbon reduction accomplishments right here at the pristine and exciting building that has also done its share of contributing to our reduction of the missions. we're going to be talking about how we are able to get to the carbon reductions. it is without a doubt the great partnerships and leaderships we have had. i will say confidently that the lieutenant governor and mayor newsom led the effort with great community leaders like espinola

jackson. you have been a wonderful advocate. i have heard you over the years articulate and very passionate way as the community desired to be less the victims of wasteful use of our energy when we close to the hunters point plant and the other. those two closures contributed greatly to us as a city embracing and being able to accomplish today is gold. we have much more to do. we are very much there. -- been able to accomplish today's cool. we have much more to do. we're very much there. in our recycling and composting goal, we have been hovering around 77% for some time. we made great strides to educate our communities,

residents, businesses, restaurants to compost and recycle as much as they can. today we are at 78%. we are well on our way. it is a modest but very important step forward. every inch and every percentage towards the ultimate goal of 100% recyclable in the city is going to get harder and harder. we have to get that much smarter and smarter about it. we have to bring in that many more partners. today i want to say to you that the department of the environment, the climate team represented here today -- some of them are holding up the great signs to explain our partnership with the city and all the city agencies. i want to thank them for leading the charge. melanie has been so passionate

about this and so mindful. she has been in the office talking through all the things we want to continue doing. i want to recognize and thank the former director who was part of the team in articulating this vision years ago and getting as to where we are today. all of the partners, the city agencies, the community, the ngo's, and private sector partners are important in getting the whole thing together as a focused effort to reduce carbon emissions. i want to recognize the california academy of sciences for a world-class facility and having the largest double platinum leed building in the world. i want to thank former supervisor maxwell.

we are reminded of the importance of this by advocates lighke espinola jackson. this city is continue -- committed to continuing and moving on with the efforts. i want to thank the public utilities commission. having it under the leadership of ed harrington has been wonderful. he is moving forward with rebuilding the water system and making sure that our municipal electrical supply is 100% carbon neutral. i want to recognize the former puc commissioner, dick skar, it is because of his leadership that we have such a dedicated staff and commission. i want to recognize the

california independent systems operator. we work closely with them in what we do in making sure we have a strong partnership to reduce our carbon emissions. we're not just going to be an island in san francisco. we have to share what we do across the state. we need their support and vision about the state. i want to thank all of the partners in the community. our communities are often the ones we do not recognize as much as we should. we are the ones who suffer if we do not get carbon emissions reduced. people come to san francisco and california because our air is cleaner, particularly northern california. i would like to say i take some credit by my own driving and my

staffs' driving a chevy volt. but they will remind me that cars and trucks of increase. they have not done their share in reducing carbon emissions. i commend today to the staff that i will be working with joanna being the lead. if you cannot get people out of cars, you can change the cars. i want to make sure that san francisco, oakland, san jose, and the other counties lead the rest of the world. we have car share, zipcar, and other wonderful alternatives to owning a car or a second car. if you are going to own a car, let's make the car been neutral. we're going to do that anymore dedicated way. -- if you are going to own a

car, let's make a carbon neutral car. we will tell president obama he can come in here and get rid of the suv's if he would like. [laughter] these are very important goals our city has created. we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions. we're committed to the 100% recycling goal of our city. thank you very much. [applause] >> we would not have been able to meet this goal without the strong support and constant urging at the top of the city. thank you for your support and pushing us all the time to meet this goal. the department that has really led the effort to push the city to meet these goals and work with partners to reach the goal of 12% below the 1990 levels is

the department of the environment. to talk a little bit about the details of how we have met the goal and what we need to do to continue striving to meet our longer-term goals is the director, melanie nutter. >> thank you for all the great work you have done in the mayor's office to enable the city success on addressing climate change. i am thrilled to be here today as a representative of the department of the environment to announce the progress we have made. we have made progress on greenhouse gas reductions and our waste reduction efforts in san francisco. i do want to thiank mayor lee for his incredible leadership and support on stability.

sustainability issues. i am sure all of you know the climate change threats we're facing in san francisco being a city surrounded by water on three sides. under a do nothing scenario, sea level rise could lead up to 90 miles of major bay area roadways as well as our airport as well as many businesses in the area. the impact would not only be environmental, but economic and social as well. cities could face up to $48 billion of infrastructure damage and significant public health impact could occur in san francisco. i do not need to tell all of you that we need to continue to act swiftly and take bold action to address climate change locally. i am so happy to be joining the mayor to a firm -- a firm that

san francisco is taking decisive action. we have made great strides by achieving a reduction of 12% below 1990 levels just in 2010. the department of the environment city-wide assessment shows these reductions are the equivalent of taking 128,000 cars off of the road every year. it is a significant impact. the city has closed polluting power plants. pacific gas and electric is delivering cleaner electricity to san francisco. both of these have played a significant role in the progress that we have made. san francisco has also been on the forefront of adopting and implementing innovative policy programs making an impact. i wanted to spend a few minutes talking about those policies and programs as well as actions that can be taken by residents,

businesses, and the city to continue the task. buildings are cleaner and more efficient. local investments are contributing to the progress in reducing emissions. the energy-watched program -- the energy watch program provides incentives to businesses and multi-family buildings to make upgrades. today we have helped to upgrade almost 4000 properties locally to help them reduce their energy usage and save money on their energy bills. san francisco's go solar program is a rebate program that has been very helpful in treating solar installations to about 2500 systems on homes and businesses locally.

this chart shows why it is critical that we continue to address carbon emissions from the building sector. we're implementing a new ordinance that is a mandate for large commercial buildings to track and report energy use and receive regular energy audits. this is with the goal of inspiring the energy efficiency retrofits of our commercial building sector. i am also excited to announce that we just launched the green finance sf program that will help building owners' access funding for energy efficiency of graves -- upgrads that can be paid back over the life of the building. we're sending west waste to the landfill. we have a great announcement that we've gone from 77% to 78%

diversion from the landfill. progress is helping san francisco to reduce our carbon footprint. the waste sent to landfills produces methane. it is 22% more potent than carbon dioxide the mandatory composting and recycling law diverted tons of waste starting in 2009 that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. currently, san francisco is still sending 444,000 tons of waste to the land fill. that is the equivalent of killing this building 32 times over with trash -- filling this building 32 times over with trash. we're still spending too much to the landfills. 2/3 of what is spent could be recycled or composted. if everyone in san francisco were diligent about composting and recycling, we could reach 90% day version today.

regarding transportation, trucks produce 39% of the emissions. emissions from transportation is growing and not shrinking. my department is working actively to get people out of cars and electrified the vehicles on the roads. we are working to make san francisco the electric vehicle capital of the u.s. by installing public charging stations and having a program to implement stations in businesses and will-family homes. as you have heard the mayor say, there are a number of common- sense actions we can all take now to make a profound difference in reaching the goal. we want to be 20% below 1990 levels by next year. residents can adjust thermostats

just two degrees. that will make a significant impact on energy use and carbon emissions. another suggestion is to leave your car at home for one trip a week. take a bus, bicycle, what, take the train. finally, composting. we want more residents and businesses to be composting food scraps in san francisco. there are many people and organizations to credit for helping make these reductions a reality. mayor lee mentioned many of the city agencies represented today who have been critical in helping to reduce carbon emissions on the municipal side, sfta, the puc, pg and e. i also wanted to recognize the commissioner from the environment commission. the commission has been a great

leader for the department in providing advice on an ongoing basis. i also wanted to thank the community climate advisory action panel that the department assembled to put together some action plans for the future. there represented today by christina page from yahoo. the business council on climate change have done a fantastic job working with us on reducing carbon emissions in the business sector. i wanted to give a huge thanks to the staff. the climate team is represented here. they have done a fantastic job putting together the assessments so that we could make this announcement today. they've been critical to the implementation and making this happen. robert caylee at the department of the environment, thank you for all of your excellent work

in helping us to achieve 78%. i am proud to lead a fantastic department of individuals who have been instrumental to the progress we've made. we cannot rest on our past successes. we have to continue to push the envelope. our policies and programs have put this on the right path. we need every person to take personal responsibility in reducing our carbon footprint. collective action can create a powerful impact. thank you all for being here today. i appreciate your time. [applause] >> thank you. i am convinced the job description of everyone at the department of the environment says "good at doing stuff that everyone says cannot be done." thank you for your leadership in making this happen for the entire city. the city is not alone with our

agencies in our efforts to try to reduce carbon emissions and foster the grain economy. a number of leading environmental organizations have been leading the drive to push for the reduction of emissions increased susceptibility. one of those is the natural resources defense council. to talk about the bigger picture and context in which our goals fit into the bigger picture is the director -- deputy director. >> i am the deputy director for sustainable communities with the national resources defense council. it is one of the nation's largest environmental organizations. two of our highest priorities are curbing global warming and creating sustainable communities. we're honored to be here to

recognize a leader in both areas. i want to commend the city for your remarkable efforts to fight climate change. when the california voters overwhelmingly rejected proposition 23 last year, a measure that would have delayed implementation of the global solutions at, we sent a strong message to sacramento and the rest of the world that the citizens of california believe we can have environmental solutions and a strong economy. san francisco's early success is powerful evidence that the voters got it right. the goals are ambitious. but as san francisco's golden demonstrating, we can identify the policies to help us achieve our goals while also improving public health and improving the quality of life. san francisco is setting the bar high for other cities. has anyone noticed the exclusion of people riding bicycles around san francisco? -- has anyone noticed the explosion of people riding

bicycles around san francisco? in the last four years, bicycling has increased almost 60% in san francisco. sf parks helps to reduce circling traffic, clean the air, and reducing frustration. investing in muni, is making it more competitive. we recognize locating housing near jobs is one of the best ways to reduce global warming. the successes in firing change all over california. san diego is about to pass legislation will cause a three and a% increase in bicycling -- 300% increase in bicycling and pedestrian traffic. rather than waiting 30 years, the mayor has been working

closely with the you see colleagues to get 30 years of funding in just 10 years. this will bring 12 new subways, create 166,000 jobs, and save $4 billion in interest costs by sending the money sooner. it is these kinds of win-win solutions that are the reason i am optimistic we can tackle the climate change challenge. the fact that san francisco has reached the astonishing level of 12% below 2009 levels, beating the state goals by nine years, since a hopeful sit-in -- signal to others that it is possible to reduce global emissions and maintain an environment that is attractive to business. we're looking for reauthorization of the federal transit bill to help make changes to stay on the leading edge of climate change policy. [applause] >> one of the key contributors

to the city being able to reach this major milestone was the closure of the bayview and other power plants. the person at the center of that fight is our next speaker. she is also described as a key ambassador for solar and clean energy in the city. espanola jackson. [applause] >> thank you very much. i would like to give thanks to josh. he could not be here. he just had a little boy, 8 pounds two oz. i also want to thank the puc past commissioners that were very helpful. it took us seven years to get those two plants closed. i want to give thanks to the people who live in public housing in the south the sector.