Recently the City of Pasadena has adopted (PDF) the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, approved a comprehensive action plan that adheres to the U.N. Green Cities Declaration and Urban Environmental Accords, adopted an ordinance that requires certain new buildings to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards, and began deploying an alternative fuels "green fleet." The city is also assembling an Environmental Advisory Commission to help the city to implement these steps.

On the city's website, environmental initiatives such as the city's Green Report, guidance on how to get around without a car, and green building events are prominently displayed (instead of tucked away on an internal page). This in itself is encouraging, and shows how serious the city is taking their environmental responsibilities.

So, what do these initiatives mean, and what can we expect from them?

Cities participating in the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement agree to:

- Strive to meet or beat the Kyoto Protocol targets in their own communities, through actions ranging from anti-sprawl land-use policies to urban forest restoration projects to public information campaigns;

- Urge their state governments, and the federal government, to enact policies and programs to meet or beat the greenhouse gas emission reduction target suggested for the United States in the Kyoto Protocol -- 7% reduction from 1990 levels by 2012; and

- Urge the U.S. Congress to pass the bipartisan greenhouse gas reduction legislation, which would establish a national emission trading system.

In addition to following those commitments, Pasadena plans to create pedestrian and bicycle friendly amenities, increase the use of green power and Energy Star appliances, promote sustainable building practices, and adopt alternative-fuel vehicles for city business.

The U.N. Green Cities Declaration and Urban Environmental Accords include 21 steps that a city can take to become a "Green City." Cities will be rated by a "Green Star Program" according to how many of the accords they implement. The accords, listed here, include everything from establishing a policy to achieve zero waste by 2040, to maintaining a canopy coverage of not less than 50% of available planting sites. Pasadena has already begun this process by creating plans for open space, green buildings, congestion management, and other programs.

Hopefully Pasadena can continue the great work it is doing (much of it off-the-radar of the local environmental movement) and, most importantly, encourage local businesses and residents to incorporate these steps into their own everyday decisions. Some of this began last week at the Rose Parade, which touted conservation to the masses. This is the leap that needs to happen to make the city's efforts truly sustainable.