Monday, January 26, 2009

Burbank Water and Power: "Climate Action Leader"

In 2007, Burbank Water and Power was awarded the title of "Climate Action Leader" for proactively registering its 2005 greenhouse gas emissions with the California Climate Action Registry. The Registry is a nonprofit/private partnership that serves as a voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) registry to protect, encourage, and promote early actions to reduce GHG emissions.

BWP is dedicated to helping create a sustainable environment for Burbank. To meet this challenge, BWP is reducing its carbon footprint by supporting and promoting early actions on climate change. This includes our commitment for 33% of Burbank’s electricity coming from renewable resources by 2020.

The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires all California businesses to limit their greenhouse gas emissions beginning in 2012 and reducing them to 1990 levels by 2020. In getting a jump on our greenhouse gas inventory, BWP can rely upon verified information from which to base future policy decisions.

BWP’s 2005 GHG emissions report is available for review. From the drop-down menus, select ‘2005’ for the Reporting Year and ‘Burbank Water and Power, City of Burbank’ for the Entity Name.

Green Material Collection Program

Green Material Collection Program

The City of Burbank has partnered with its hauling company and a grower to implement a highly successful green material diversion and composting public education program.

The City of Burbank’s green material diversion program has helped the city meet its 50 percent landfill diversion mandate. Specifically, the city’s program diverts 75 tons of green material a day. Publication # 443-02-017 August 2002

Key Benefits of Burbank’s green waste programs include:
~
Produces 500 pounds of compost a year from 4,000 backyard compost projects

~ Extends the 50-year life expectancy of their landfill
~ Helps Burbank maintain their State-verified 60 percent waste diversion rate
~ Educates the 1,500 visitors who tour the recycle center annually—mostly school children—about the benefits of composting.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Burbank Green Building Program

Community Development Department: Building Division is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Ask for a copy of these USGBC publications at the Building Division counter:
~ LEED Green Building Rating System
~ Making the Business Case for High Performance Green Buildings Environmental Regulations
~ Green Building & Sustainable Architecture
~ Diversion of Construction & Demolition Debris
~ Burbank Municipal Code Title 9, Chapter 1 Article 10

~ Green Building & Sustainable Architecture Reference Manual

Burbank's Sustainability Action Plan – Jan 2008

On January 22, 2008, the Burbank City Council approved a resolution supporting the United National (sic) Urban Environmental Accords. The Accords are a series of goals (called “action items”) that can be adopted at the local level to achieve urban sustain-ability, promote healthy economies, advance social equity and protect the world’s ecosystem.

The Council also passed the City of Burbank Sustainability Action Plan to implement these goals on a local level.
~ United National (sic) Environmental Accords
~ Burbank City Council Resolution supporting UN Urban Environmental Accords
and City of Burbank Sustainability Action Plan (January 22, 2008)
~ Sustainability Staff Report, January 22, 2008
~ Sustainability Action Plan Intro and Summary Table
~ Sustainability Action Items
~ Sustainability -- Status and Timeline
~ Zero Waste: Building Lean, Green Businesses and Organizations (PDF) Gary Liss, Gary Liss & Associates (5-2-08)