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We Can Shape San Diego’s Next Climate Action Plan

Image Source: The City of San Diego

By: David Harris, SD350 CAP/CCE Committee Chair

The City of San Diego released its landmark 2015 Climate Action Plan (CAP). The Plan’s established goal of 100% clean energy by 2035 served as a model for many other cities.  It included specific goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity, vehicles, solid waste, and other sources. Now, as the fifth year of CAP implementation is nearing completion, the City is launching a community driven process to update its CAP.

The City has made substantial progress toward meeting its clean energy goals. In 2019, the City formed a joint powers authority, San Diego Community Power (SDCP), with Encinitas, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, and Chula Vista. SDCP is a Community Choice Energy (CCE) program that will launch in Spring 2021. In its charter, SDCP includes worker protections, equity provisions, and a commitment to local renewable energy generation.

Unfortunately, the City has made slow progress in meeting its ambitious mode-share goals for transit, bicycling, and walking in a timely manner due to the expenses required to implement change in such a large-scale sector as transportation. 

Moving forward, it is necessary for the City to consider social equity issues in the planning process as many lower-income community members rely on public transport to get to work and school. In addition, public health in communities of color has been adversely impacted by freeway expansion projects.

How We Can Take Action!

The City of San Diego is inviting the community to participate in the process to revise and update its Climate Action Plan (CAP). This is an opportunity for the SanDiego350 community to get involved with three easy actions: 

  1. Complete the City of San Diego CAP survey to share your personal climate priorities, ideas, and choices. If you would like recommendations on how to answer the survey questions, here is an easy to use template.
  2. Join the SanDiego350 CAP Workshop on August 11 @ 7:00pm to learn more about the CAP and what SanDiego350 and other climate hub organizations will be advocating for in the CAP update. Register here.
  3. Participate in the City’s CAP Community Forum on August 13 @ 12:00pm. This is our opportunity to advocate for stronger goals and better policies that will enable the City to actually meet aggressive emission reduction goals. Register here.

This week will be an opportunity to learn how we can truly make a difference for the future of San Diego. The time to raise our voices for a better climate future is now!

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