Can urban projects become “climate positive?” Treasure Island site will find out…
The Treasure Island Redevelopment Project was announced today as one among 16 founding projects of the
Climate Positive Development Program, a Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) program that will support the development of large-scale urban projects that demonstrate cities can grow in ways that are “climate positive.” Climate Positive real estate developments will strive to reduce the amountof on-site CO2 emissions to below zero.The Climate Positive Development Program was launched by President Clinton,
Founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, on May 19, 2009, at the C40
Summit in Seoul, South Korea. Along with the other founding projects,
Treasure Island will demonstrate Climate Positive strategies, setting a
compelling environmental and economic example for cities to follow.To reduce the net greenhouse gas emissions of their Climate Positive
Development projects to below zero, property developers and local
governments will agree to work in partnership on specific areas of
activity. This includes implementing economically viable innovations in
buildings, the generation of clean energy, waste management, water
management, and transportation and outdoor lighting systems.Last year, for the first time, half the world’s population (3.2 billion
people) lived in cities, and that figure is expected to grow to 70 percent
by 2050. Cities also occupy just 2 percent of the world’s landmass, yet are
responsible for more than two-thirds of global energy use and greenhouse
gas emissions. How cities change and grow is therefore a critical component
to tackling the climate crisis.Former Naval Station Treasure Island, consisting of 450 acres on Treasure
Island and Yerba Buena Island, offers a prime location in the heart of the
San Francisco Bay with stunning views of San Francisco’s skyline. It also
offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a forward-thinking model
for creation of a new mixed-use community, and a regional destination,
based on the principles of sustainable development. The mixed-use, urban
infill, brownfields redevelopment is clustered around an inter modal ferry
terminal to prioritize walking, biking and public transit. The Project’s
unique approach to integrating horizontal and vertical program components
is a key driver for realizing the goal of becoming the most sustainable
large development project in U.S. history.By combining CCI’s business and finance expertise with the technical
knowledge of the USGBC, the Climate Positive Development program will
support the planning and implementation process for each real estate
development and establish the standards and metrics by which the sites can
measure climate positive outcomes.When the initial 16 projects are completed, nearly one million people will
live and work in Climate Positive communities. These communities will be
located in Melbourne, Australia (; Palhoca, Brazil; Toronto, Canada;
Victoria, Canada; Ahmedabad, India; Jaipur, India; outside Panama City,
Panama; Pretoria, South Africa; Johannesburg, South Africa; Seoul, South
Korea; Stockholm, Sweden;; London, UK; San Francisco, USA and Destiny
Florida, USA.The William J. Clinton Foundation launched the Clinton Climate Initiative
(CCI) to create and advance solutions to the core issues driving climate
change. Working with governments and businesses around the world to tailor
local solutions that are economically and environmentally sustainable, CCI
focuses on three strategic program areas: increasing energy efficiency in
cities, catalyzing the large-scale supply of clean energy, and working to
measure and value the carbon absorbed by forests. In each of these
programs, CCI uses a holistic approach to address the major sources of
greenhouse gas emissions and the people, policies, and practices that
impact them. CCI serves as the action arm of the C40, an association of
large cities around the world that have pledged to accelerate their efforts
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. www.clintonfoundation.org
