User:Brookewilder/San Diego Climate Action Plan

The plan identifies five specific sectors:


 * 1) Efficient building usage of water and energy
 * 2) Renewable sources of energy
 * 3) Transportation and land allocation
 * 4) Waste elimination
 * 5) Adaptation to climate stresses

Transportation was considered the largest sector of concern due to its overall contribution to greenhouse emissions and due to widespread reliance on high-emissions transportation methods. To ensure progress of the plan, there are three phases of the Climate Action Plan: Phase 1: Early Action 2016-2017, Phase 2: Mid-Term 2018-2020, and Phase 3: Long-Term 2021-2035. Several departments within the local government and community will be involved to achieve the desire goal of a better future. A Climate Action Campaign has begun in response to this plan with the help of organizations such as the Sierra Club. Yearly reports are to be made to track progression of this plan. Much of the proposed transition to renewable energy relies on switching from SDG&E to a new community choice energy provider called San Diego Community Power.

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 a 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.

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 has been integral to implementing transportation related policy including the 2021 Mid-Coast trolley extension.

2018 Report[edit]
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 (PACE), which allows owners to pay for their solar installation on their property taxes.