The classic Berkeley home - a creaky Victorian with drafty windows, a Wedgewood stove and musty furnace - will undergo a drastic makeover under the city's aggressive new plans to fight global warming.

Within the next few years, the city is likely to mandate that all homes meet strict energy standards. In many cases this would mean new double-paned windows, insulation in the attic, walls and floors, a new white roof that reflects heat, a forced-air furnace and high-efficiency appliances.

The cost: upward of $33,800.

"The improvements will not only save energy, they'll make the home less drafty and more comfortable," said Billi Romain, the city's sustainability coordinator. "There are many benefits not just for the city, but for the homeowner."

The requirements, some of the most drastic efforts any municipality has taken to curb global warming, are part of the city's long-awaited Climate Action Plan. The 145-page report, which has been closely watched by other cities and states, covers everything from organic gardening to recycling to bike paths.

The plan, which the City Council is slated to approve Tuesday, aims to bring the city into compliance with Measure G, a 2006 initiative requiring the city to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

Under the proposal, all homeowners in Berkeley will be required to hire an energy auditor to inspect their home for leaks and inefficiencies.

Each home will receive a rating, similar to a car's gas- mileage rating. The owner will be required to improve the home's energy efficiency to meet city standards.

From incentives to penalties

In the beginning, the city will offer incentives, such as rebates and financial assistance, for homeowners to comply. But within a few years, the city will start imposing penalties for those who don't meet the standards, said Timothy Burroughs, the city's climate action coordinator.

"We want to emphasize that this is in people's interest," he said. "If we're serious about reducing our emissions, it's only possible if virtually every building achieves significant improvements in energy efficiency."

No deadlines or specific standards have been set yet. But the city's goal is for all of Berkeley's 23,000 homes and 25,000 duplexes and apartment units to reduce energy use by 35 percent by 2020.

In some cases, the standards can be met relatively inexpensively, Romain said. Caulking, sealing, insulation and new appliances - an investment of under $10,000 - can reduce energy use by more than 25 percent.

Tougher new standards

Berkeley already has strict energy standards for homes, but they're only applied when a home is sold or undergoes major remodeling. The new standards will be tougher and apply to all homes.

Eventually energy standards will be applied to businesses and industries, as well.

Financial assistance will be available to low-income homeowners. Portions of the plan will be paid for with federal stimulus money, parking rate increases and possibly a carbon tax.

The plan is likely to draw an uproar at Tuesday's meeting, not just for the home requirements but for its emphasis on high-density housing development.

"It's ridiculous," said Laurie Bright, president of the Berkeley Council of Neighborhood Associations.

"I don't believe this proposal will have any effect on reducing greenhouse gas emissions," he said. "We can't develop our way out of climate change."

Berkeley is already overloaded with permit requirements and building standards, he said.

"This is piling on," Bright said. "It's like the banks making their customers bail them out. Berkeley wants to do all these great things but wants the homeowners to pay for it all."

Former Mayor Shirley Dean said the costs will be too high for most residents.

"If we're going to have any economic diversity in this city at all, we can't require people to make these awfully, awfully costly upgrades," she said. "I think people really want to do the right thing, but they just don't have this kind of money."

Meeting the Measure G goal will require Berkeley residents to dramatically change their lifestyles, but the sacrifices will make the city healthier and lead to a higher quality of life, said Alan Tobey, a board member of Livable Berkeley, which advocates for moderate growth.

The plan also calls for zero garbage sent to landfill, large improvements in public transit, bike lanes and car-shares, and most food sold in stores and restaurants to be produced within a few hundred miles of the city.

"This plan is a national model, in many ways," Tobey said. "People belittle the idea that one city can take on a global problem, but we're showing that it can be done."

Council meeting The Berkeley City Council meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Old City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley. For more information about the Climate Action Plan, go to www.berkeleyclimateaction.org.