Sims wants developers to cut carbon emissions

King County Executive Ron Sims proposed changes in the county's environmental policy today that would encourage developers to reduce carbon emissions from their projects 15 percent below current standards.

Sims said his "incentive-based" proposal — which must be approved by the Metropolitan King County Council — is intended to curb local contributions to global warming and to protect developers and the county against lawsuits.

Under the plan, developers who reach the 15 percent goal — for example, by complying with certain energy-efficiency standards — would be declared to be in compliance with State Environmental Policy Act standards. Builders who reduced carbon emissions by 30 percent would receive expedited review of their projects.

Sims called a new University of Washington study on the impacts of climate change "really sobering," and said, "We have to do this, we really do. The time has come for us to do this."

The proposed ordinance would put teeth into an executive order Sims issued in 2007 that required developers to calculate the climate impact of their proposals but didn't set limits on emissions of greenhouse gases.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com