The West Hollywood City Council voted Monday night to direct city staff to research the feasibility of developing a Climate Credit Initiative to provide incentives for plant-based and certified green businesses to continue successfully operating in the city.

In 2021, West Hollywood adopted the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) which outlines the city’s path to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.

One of the programs created under the CAAP is the Green Business Program. The program operates under guidelines established by the California Green Business Network and connects approximately 50 California cities and counties to a “Statewide standard of criteria for businesses to achieve a Green Business Certification.”

In the state, more than 4,700 businesses have achieved California Green Business Certifications and in doing so, reduced 49.9 million kWh of electricity, 93.6 million gallons of water, 17.3 million pounds of materials from landfills, and 64.6 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

For now, the emphasis from the city is a credit applied to restaurants to encourage a plant-based menu. However, the staff report states that it may be possible for the Climate Credit Initiative to make another incentive available for other types of businesses like retail and hotels that reach the certification level of the Green Business Certification Program.

West Hollywood restaurants that register for the program can qualify to receive up to a $1,500 rebate to offset extra costs associated with implementing green measures.

“A shift to plant-based diets is among the most effective ways for individuals to reduce their carbon footprints. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, has seen rapid atmospheric concentration growth, largely driven by emissions from fossil fuels and agriculture, with at least 30 percent attributed to animal agriculture,” the council motion stated. “The production of animal products generates 90 percent more greenhouse gases than plant-based alternatives.”

The motion further adds, “Promoting a move towards plant-based foods is not only good for the environment, but it also improves health outcomes and encourages healthier lifestyles.”

Last month, the city council adopted a resolution urging the United States and other national governments to negotiate a global Plant-Based Treaty to advocate for a sustainable food system to help combat the worsening global climate crisis as part of the city’s ongoing climate action efforts.

The Plant-Based Treaty would serve as a companion to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement and emphasizes the need for a fundamental shift in food production by reducing reliance on animal agriculture, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane and nitrous oxide.

The Climate Credit Initiative would provide incentives for businesses that are meeting certain criteria to address climate change. The initiative would create business tax rebates, business tax credits, grants, and other financial incentives.

“The goal of this program is to encourage businesses in West Hollywood to go above and beyond the baseline requirements by making sustainable practices an essential part of their business model,” the motion states.

According to the council motion, the city hopes that by providing a financial incentive like the Climate Credit, more businesses would be encouraged to prioritize plant-based food. Any restaurant serving plant-based food must provide documentation, such as their menu, to obtain the credit.

Councilmember John Heilman is eager to make other enterprises eligible for credits. “All of our businesses need incentives right now, and I just want to make sure that as we’re looking at targeting particular types of business for incentives because they’re promoting a healthy lifestyle, and promoting addressing climate change. I just hope that we’re looking at how we can incentivize all of our businesses,” he said.