The Funding & Implementation Report also includes money for energy efficient facilities, street repairs and new hires to support implementation efforts in various departments. Not included in the funding total are items without a direct cost, such as the City’s contract with a private firm to install solar panels on City facilities at no cost to taxpayers. 

 

The Funding & Implementation Report establishes a baseline funding level in the annual budget for the Climate Action Plan and funding is expected to ramp up in future years as the City nears its targets for 2020 and 2035.

 

Further updates on the progress of the Climate Action Plan will be released throughout the year as City staff works on a variety of actions, such as developing a plan to build bike lanes in places where they will have the maximum use.

 

The goals in the Climate Action Plan were established based on San Diego’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) level in 2010. The plan requires annual monitoring of GHG levels, the first of which will be conducted later this year. An analysis of job creation and social equity as they relate to the Climate Action Plan will be included in that annual report. 

 

The Climate Action Plan is a package of policies that will benefit San Diego’s environment and economy. It will help create new jobs in the renewable energy industry, improve public health and air quality, conserve water, more efficiently use existing resources, increase clean energy production, improve quality of life and save taxpayer money.

 

The plan also clearly identifies steps the City of San Diego can take to achieve the 2035 targets. That list includes creating a renewable energy program; implementing a Zero Waste plan; and changing policy to have a majority of the City’s fleet be electric vehicles.

 

Here’s what business and environmental leaders are saying about the Climate Action Plan’s Funding & Implementation Report:

 

City Council President Sherri Lightner: “A thorough implementation plan is critical to establish specific details outlining how we, as a city, intend to reach our Climate Action Plan goals going forward. Climate resiliency, in addition to infrastructure improvements, will be critical to ensure that our city is prepared to handle predicted, and potentially unforeseen, climate change impacts such as heat waves, drought and sea level rise.”

 

Jerry Sanders, President & CEO, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce: “As implementation of the Climate Action Plan begins, we commend the Mayor and Council for remaining committed to the key principles of flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and job creation. By enacting a plan that is measured, and strategic, the spending we do to protect our environment can be leveraged into an investment in our economy, the community, and local jobs.”

 

Nicole Capretz, Executive Director, Climate Action Campaign: “Thanks to the Mayor for putting forward an implementation plan that sets us on the right path to meet our climate plan goals. We still have a lot of work to do to figure out how we are going to model success, especially in building more compact, bikeable and walkable urban neighborhoods with functional transit, but the Mayor today has signaled that he is committed to identifying and implementing solutions and we applaud his efforts.”

 

Jim Stone, Executive Director, Circulate San Diego: “We are excited to see that San Diego’s Climate Action Plan encourages a variety of transportation modes by adding new bike lanes and sidewalks while focusing on underserved communities and transit priority areas. The Plan not only sets a course for San Diego, it serves as an example for cities around the nation. The Mayor's proposal today is a welcomed down payment on a robust implementation to demonstrate our City's continued leadership.”

 

Jason Anderson, President, Cleantech San Diego: “San Diego's landmark Climate Action Plan has the world watching and learning from our region's pursuit of environmental change alongside economic leadership. As the City enters the implementation phase of the CAP, I am confident that San Diego’s energy innovators are well prepared to help achieve the CAP's progressive goals and create an even stronger cleantech economy that will continue to serve as a model for sustainability planners around the globe.”

 

Andy Hanshaw, Executive Director, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition: “With this Implementation Plan, the City is reinforcing its strong commitment toward reaching its goals for increasing bicycle commuting mode share and becoming a leading city for sustainability and reducing climate change. The Bike Coalition is very supportive of this plan and we look forward to working with the Mayor on achieving the goals outlined in the plan.”

 

Matt Adams, Vice President, Building Industry Association of San Diego: “The Mayor’s Plan represents an ambitious and achievable strategy to implement the goals of the Climate Action Plan. Its success is built upon effective and efficient coordination among the various components including land use, transportation and energy efficiency.”

 

Stephen Heverly, Senior Project Manager, Center for Sustainable Energy’s Equinox Project: “CSE applauds Mayor Faulconer and the City Council for championing a vision for San Diego to take action on climate change, grow the local economy and enhance the region’s quality of life. San Diego is a vital player in California’s economy and has the opportunity to attract more investment dollars, continue to create clean energy jobs and positon itself as a national leader in clean energy policy to help achieve both economic and environmental goals.” 

 

CONTACT: Craig Gustafson at (619) 453-9880 or cgustafson@sandiego.gov