San Diego Climate Action Plan
The San Diego Climate Action Plan was adopted by the City of San Diego in December 2015. It is a local climate action plan whose rules are defined by the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Through this plan, the city initially set goals of eliminating half of all greenhouse emissions and sourcing all energy from renewable sources by the year 2035. With a coalition of business owners, environmental advocates, and community leaders, Mayor Kevin Faulconer approved the Climate Action Plan. The plan consists of several policies to ensure the economic and environmental growth of the city of San Diego. It was referred to in The San Diego Union-Tribune as "the most aggressive climate action plan in California."
Strategies
The plan identifies five specific sectors:- Efficient building usage of water and energy
- Renewable sources of energy
- Transportation and land allocation
- Waste elimination
- Adaptation to climate stresses
The five sectors identified by the city have been further divided into six specific strategies, each with individual targets. Strategy 1, Decarbonization of the Built Environment, focuses on transforming city infrastructure to utilize cleaner energy sources. San Diego Community Power has been tasked with supplying clean energy for new buildings as part of this decarbonization effort. Strategy 2, Access to Clean and Renewable Energy, aims to provide alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. In effort to achieve this the city of San Diego has taken part in establishing a Joint Powers Authority with the cities of Chula Vista, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, and La Mesa to create an ordinance for a community choice authority on renewable energy. Strategy 3, Mobility and Land Use, focuses on urban planning that prioritizes reliable and energy efficient transportation. This includes the development of a Mobility Action Plan that aims to reduce cost, improves efficiency, and integrate climate resiliency into transportation infrastructure. Strategy 4, Circular Economy and Clean Communities, is targeted towards waste reduction. Progress towards this goal thus far has been linked to the City Recycling Ordinance which mandates recycling of eligible materials. Strategy 5, Resilient Infrastructure and Healthy Ecosystems, involves integrating city infrastructure with the natural environment to adapt the city to be more resilient against natural disasters. Efforts have been concentrated on developing an urban forest in Balboa Park. Strategy 6, Emerging Climate Action, concentrates on the role of community partnerships to implement and monitor the previous five strategies.
Goals
Goals focused on emissions reductions through 2035. The baseline used for the action plan was based on a 2010 report in which the total emissions were 12,984,993 MT ofGovernance
Partnerships
The San Diego City government has partnered with other local governments and organizations to advocate for decision making consistent with the city's climate action plan. The city's renewable energy strategy is being supported by a county wide zero-carbon plan drafted by the County of San Diego with support from the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. Partnering with SANDAG and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System has been integral to implementing transportation related policy including the 2021 Mid-Coast trolley extension.Implementation
2018 Report
The 2018 San Diego Climate Action annual report outlines the progress of each of the five sectors. For the built environment and transportation sector, the three actions listed in the 2018 Climate action report exceeded the 2020 goal. The irrigation pumps did not produce any data, but the agriculture and conservation sector was seventy trees short of achieving the 14,000 trees planted goal. Water and waste water was able decrease the county's water consumption by 13% and the energy sector installed 38,510 home solar systems on existing houses. This is made possible in part by the Property Assessed Clean Energy, which allows owners to pay for their solar installation on their property taxes.2020
The 2020 Climate Action Plan report stated that greenhouse gas emissions had been reduced by 25% compared to 2010, but this claim may be exaggerated because it relies on baseline assumptions that do not take into account reduced vehicle operation after the Great Recession.Assessing the state of implementation, environmental campaigner Nicole Kapretz said, "There’s been some progress, but it’s not even close to what we need. It’s baby steps when we need leaps."
2021
A 2021 city auditor's report found a lack of cost estimates, poor progress tracking, ambiguous responsibilities, and little communication, with interdepartmental meetings only occurring once a year in 2019 and 2020. While the city agreed to implement recommendations from the auditor, the delay of the release of the mobility action plan was criticized by environmental groups.In November 2021, an extension of the San Diego Trolley Blue Line was opened, potentially decreasing reliance on cars.