San Diego, September 11th, 2023 - Last Friday, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) unveiled its new Regional Climate Readiness Table, demonstrating its commitment to tackling the climate crisis and positioning San Diego to compete successfully for unprecedented state and federal climate funds in the Inflation Reduction Act and Newsom’s climate package.

The table will act as a partnership between local governments, businesses, frontline communities, and community-based organizations to prioritize regional climate resilience projects by attracting large-scale funding opportunities.

“We cannot sit idle in the face of the ultimate challenge of our time. We can and will collaborate in unprecedented ways so that every community in the San Diego region can overcome the health and quality of life complications we face as our climate changes. A Regional Climate Readiness Table will foster critical collaboration and help us access state and federal funding to make everything from safe streets to healthy homes to more urban tree canopies a reality for all San Diegans." — Corinna Contreras, Climate Action Campaign Policy Advocate

This announcement comes at a critical time. Most San Diego cities have passed bold Climate Action Plans and tried to act on climate and decarbonize on their own, but have faced major roadblocks because of lack of resources and capacity. For example, the City of San Diego Independent Budget Analyst's review of the FY 2024 proposed budget showed that unfunded CAP requests totaled $94.1 million. The City has yet to publicly share the current funding resources they’ve received to close this gap.

And while it is even a challenge for the City of San Diego, this challenge is especially true for smaller and under-resourced cities. CAC sponsored legislation with Assemblymember Chris Ward in 2021, attempting to formalize a regional climate readiness table. While it did not pass, we did not give up. Since 2021, CAC has continued advocating for collaboration between our cities.

SANDAG’s commitment to regional collaboration recognizes the urgency and complexity of the climate crisis and allows San Diego to secure historic resources. These resources enable local governments to implement Climate Action Plans, slash greenhouse gas emissions, protect public health, center equity, and uplift the well-being of our communities.

The Regional Climate Readiness Table will strengthen local climate action and resilience through:

1. Regional Collaboration: By fostering partnerships and collaboration among neighboring cities and communities, the table will promote the exchange of best practices, knowledge, and resources to address climate challenges collectively. Whether it’s building out community solar or active transportation projects that involve various jurisdictions, these projects can be packaged into sub-regional and regional projects, making them more competitive for state and federal funding.

2. Resource Opportunities: The table will serve as a hub for identifying and leveraging funding opportunities at local and national levels, ensuring that resources are distributed equitably and strategically to bolster climate initiatives throughout the region.

3. Community Engagement: Through community outreach and involvement, the table will empower local residents, CBOs, and key stakeholders, providing a platform to actively participate in shaping climate policies, projects, and solutions that directly impact their communities.

“Staff was successful in actually securing the EPA grant...so our region is going to be able to do the planning that we need so that all of our cities, county, and SANDAG has the ability to compete for almost about $5 billion in new federal funding to take local action to reduce greenhouse emissions. The grant is going to enable SANDAG to prepare a regional Climate Action Plan as part of our regional plan, and we’re going to go ahead and help create a Regional Climate Readiness Table so that jurisdictions can apply together to bring federal funding for the region.” — Nora Vargas, San Diego Association of Governments Chairwoman.

SANDAG’s commitment to developing a Regional Climate Readiness Table as part of its regional plan marks a turning point in San Diego’s climate action and commitment to regional collaboration.