Our elected leaders at the county had a busy January, kicking off the year with some groundbreaking announcements on tackling the climate crisis head-on. The Supervisors are setting a new standard for bold action on climate in our region, so let’s take a look at what they’ve got coming.
Here’s the deal, the Board made TWO major commitments:
1) Regional Sustainability Plan: The County will develop a sustainability plan which will outline all of the strategies needed to guide the entire region to zero carbon by 2035.
This means figuring what it takes to entirely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in every sector, in every jurisdiction in the County, within 15 years.
This roadmap is crucial. With local governments across the region struggling to meet basic climate goals and no jurisdictions planning for zero carbon (as climate science says is necessary), we know we need a more coordinated, regional approach, and this regional sustainability plan will provide those answers.
2) Climate Action Plan: At the same time, they’re beginning the process of developing their own legally-binding CAP, which will outline specific strategies to reduce emissions in the unincorporated parts of the region.
It’s important to note — the Supervisors only have the decision-making power to pass and implement most types of emissions reduction strategies in the unincorporated areas (most crucially, land use authority).
The Board directed staff to align the CAP with California’s strongest climate goal—Executive Order B-55-18, which calls for carbon neutrality as soon as possible, and no later than 2045.
These are both HUGE wins! Make no mistake — there’s still a lot of work to do to achieve major emissions reductions, so we’ll all need to stay focused to push, what’s shaping up to be one of the nation’s strongest CAPs, across the finish line at the County.
Stay tuned for ways to keep advocating for a County Climate Action Plan that puts us on the road to our zero carbon future. In the meantime, check out Bertha’s blog post on zero carbon to learn more.