I want to draw Council's attention to Appendix H of the U-M PCCN report, because it's relevant to the city's A2Zero plan. Appendix H is the statement of a minority of commissioners who oppose the use of greenhouse gas emissions offsets, detailed in the plan, to achieve carbon neutrality for U-M's Scope 1 (direct) emissions. "Direct emissions reductions should take precedence over the purchase of offsets, even at the risk of delaying the achievement of a neutrality date," they write. Offsets also figure prominently in the A2Zero plan. To my knowledge, there has been no community discussion about their use to achieve carbon neutrality locally, and I don't remember any questions about offsets in the public surveys that informed the draft A2Zero plan released in March, 2020. Before the city purchases offsets, there should be a public conversation around their use. I'm against offsetting our emissions, for a variety of reasons, but there are arguments in favor. Let's have that discussion.
I want to draw Council's attention to Appendix H of the U-M PCCN report, because it's relevant to the city's A2Zero plan. Appendix H is the statement of a minority of commissioners who oppose the use of greenhouse gas emissions offsets, detailed in the plan, to achieve carbon neutrality for U-M's Scope 1 (direct) emissions. "Direct emissions reductions should take precedence over the purchase of offsets, even at the risk of delaying the achievement of a neutrality date," they write. Offsets also figure prominently in the A2Zero plan. To my knowledge, there has been no community discussion about their use to achieve carbon neutrality locally, and I don't remember any questions about offsets in the public surveys that informed the draft A2Zero plan released in March, 2020. Before the city purchases offsets, there should be a public conversation around their use. I'm against offsetting our emissions, for a variety of reasons, but there are arguments in favor. Let's have that discussion.