What is Portland deciding about add Sustainability and Climate Commission Code (add Code Chapter 3.136 and amend Code Chapter 3.33)?

The Sustainability and Climate Commission (Commission) is established to advance climate action across our city with a focus on environmental justice, City accountability to its sustainability and climate goals, and create and evaluate the City’s Climate Action Plan. In 2023, City Council separated the former Planning and Sustainability Commission into the Planning Commission and directed the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) to bring Council a proposal for a new Climate Commission (Ordinance No. 191150). On November 1, 2023, Council decided that the Chief Sustainability Officer, would transition into the City Administrator’s Office on January 1, 2025 (Resolution No. 37635). On May 8, 2024, City Council approved the proposal to create the Sustainability and Climate Commission, amending chapter 3.33 of BPS City Code to direct BPS to lead the formation and recruitment of the new Commission with the understanding that the Chief Sustainability Officer, the Sustainability and Climate Commission Coordinator (SCC Coordinator), and the Commission itself would transition into the City Administrator's Office on January 1, 2025 (Ordinance No. 191710). The Commission is designed for our new form of government to report to the Chief Sustainability Officer and advise City Council, the Mayor, and the City Administrator. Since May 2024, the Chief Sustainability Officer and SCC Coordinator have been working with City Attorney and staff that worked on updating Title 3 (Ordinance No. 191461) to align Sustainability and Climate Commission City Code updates to their recommendations and standards for our new form of government. Additionally, the SCC Coordinator has been engaged in the comprehensive advisory body review process with Civic Life, and Commission was reflected in the initial review in December 2024 as it was in the previous form of government. Since the Charter Reform Commission, there has been public demands for a climate oversight body. The Sustainability and Climate Commission meets these demands and reflects the exact language from the Charter Reform that the Mayor and City Administrator must address the human-made climate crisis and the Commission provides the opportunity for the Mayor and City Administrator to fulfill this charge.

The reviewed sources do not clearly identify every existing policy, service, contract, or obligation that would remain unchanged.

This proposal concerns climate & environment and requires action through Portland’s public legislative process.

In 2020 through 2022, the Charter Commission conducted community engagement that included 8% of survey comments referring to climate change and climate and environmental justice community listening sessions. Through this work, the community expressed the need for a climate oversight body and urgency for bold climate action that focuses on frontline communities. The Chief Sustainability Officer and SCC Coordinator had several touch points for community involvement throughout Sustainability and Climate Commission design, processes, framework, and recruitment. Additionally, the Chief Sustainability Officer and SCC Coordinator reviewed prior community engagement to inform the creation of the Commission. In April through June 2023, the Chief Sustainability Officer and SCC Coordinator reviewed community feedback from prior City community engagement that referred to climate change and environmental justice, and researched 14 climate commissions across the US, and communicated those results to City leadership and staff. In August 2023, BPS held two City employee workshops to collect feedback on a proposed Sustainability and Climate Commission. Over 30 employees attended and contributed over 330 comments. In September 2023, BPS staff held three workshops with key community members to form a 12-person work group. Workshop participants contributed over 160 comments. In September through November, BPS staff hosted three community-wide, one in-person and two virtual events to collect feedback on the proposed Sustainability and Climate Commission. Participants contributed over 200 comments. In January through February 2024, the Chief Sustainability Officer and the SCC Coordinator reviewed community comments and updated the proposed Sustainability and Climate Commission. In February through March 2024, the Chief Sustainability Officer and SCC Coordinator hosted a fourth workshop with the 12-person community work group and engaged City staff to review the updated Commission proposal, collect feedback and incorporate feedback into a proposal for public comment. In March through April 2024, BPS released the proposal for a 30-day public comment period and hosted two community-wide events to engage the public. Over 20 comments were collected. In March through April 2024, the Chief Sustainability Officer and SCC Coordinator analyzed public comments and finalized the Commission framework proposal. The Chief Sustainability Officer and SCC Coordinator presented the finalized Sustainability and Climate Commission framework during a regular council meeting and it was approved unanimously by City Council on May 8, 2024. In November 2024 through January 2025, the Chief Sustainability Officer and SCC Coordinator opened Commission applications, engaged over 100 City staff members to share via their community pathways, shared the opportunity externally through individualized outreach and through the City of Portland’s social media channels, reached over 2,000 community members, and responded to all 75 community inquiries received via e-mail and phone. As a result, 245 community members applied for the Commission, including 39 youth representatives (individuals ages 16 – 24). The applicants were from 16 to 81 years old. 13 applicants came from District 1, 63 from District 2, 71 from District 3, 74 from District 4, and 20 from surroundings areas.