Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Carolyn Bloede, Director, Office of Sustainability
Subject: Adoption of the 2022 Draft Community Climate Action Plan and 2022 Draft San Mateo County General Plan Climate Element
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation to:
A) Adopt a resolution adopting the Final Initial Study - Negative Declaration for the 2022 Draft San Mateo County General Plan Climate Element and the 2022 Draft Community Climate Action Plan; and
B) Adopt a resolution adopting the 2022 Draft San Mateo County General Plan Climate Element, replacing the existing General Plan Energy and Climate Element, and adopting the 2022 Draft Community Climate Action Plan.
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BACKGROUND:
Climate change is already affecting San Mateo County. Impacts such as more frequent heat waves, wildfire, drought, and flooding are felt most acutely by our communities’ most vulnerable members, children, older adults, and historically underserved neighborhoods. The Board of Supervisors has demonstrated ongoing leadership in tackling these critical impacts on communities.
In June 2013, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors amended the General Plan by adding Chapter 17, the Energy and Climate Change Element, adopted the Energy Efficiency Climate Action Plan, and certified the Environmental Impact Report (Resolution No. 20130604). The 2013 Energy Efficiency Climate Action Plan established a greenhouse emissions reduction goal that was consistent with California State Assembly Bill 32, passed in 2018, to achieve 1990 emissions levels by 2020. The County reached this goal in 2017 as a result of establishing Peninsula Clean Energy and implementing other leadership actions.
In June 2017, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 20170627 affirming the Paris Climate Accords and committed to the necessary greenhouse gas emissions reductions necessary to slow global climate change. In September 2019, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 20190917 declaring a climate emergency in San Mateo County that demanded accelerated and regionally coordinated climate action.
Current California state policy establishes a framework for local jurisdictions to advance local emissions reduction efforts. In 2016, California State Senate Bill 32 established a goal to reduce statewide emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, and in 2018 Executive Order 55-18 established a statewide policy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
DISCUSSION:
To avoid the detrimental effects of climate change, staff have prepared an update to the 2013 Energy and Climate Change Element and the 2013 Energy Efficiency Climate Action Plan to bring County policy into compliance with State law and to provide a strategic roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in unincorporated San Mateo County. There are multiple components to this update included with this Board action including: 1) the 2022 Draft San Mateo County General Plan Climate Element, 2) the 2022 Draft Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP), 3) the technical appendix to the CCAP, 4) the Final Initial Study - Negative Declaration, and 5) two resolutions. The 2022 Draft San Mateo County General Plan Climate Element is a component of the County’s General Plan and provides a high-level framework for bringing about emissions reductions, whereas the CCAP provides more detailed information about climate change impacts in San Mateo County and the proposed actions for reducing emissions by 2030 and 2040.
The 2022 updates to the 2022 Draft San Mateo County General Plan Climate Element and the CCAP are founded on the best available science and propose innovative actions to address climate change. Adopting the CCAP will establish emission reduction targets of 45% below 1990 levels by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040 using climate action strategies in the following areas:
• Transportation: strategies to shift to electric powered vehicles, public transit, walking, and biking, leading to cleaner air and healthier communities.
• Building Energy: strategies to reduce energy use and transition to renewable energy sources, leading to reduced utility bills, cleaner indoor air quality, improved resilience to heat waves, and improved public health outcomes.
• Waste Reduction: strategies to reduce waste generation, leading to resource conservation and extending the life of costly landfills.
• Working Lands and Carbon Sequestration: strategies to sequester carbon and enable climate beneficial agricultural practices, leading to a more resilient and vibrant local food system.
The CCAP is distinguished from many other local climate action plans in that it is certified under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines. A certified plan must demonstrate substantial evidence that links proposed actions to specific emissions reduction contributions per action. In meeting this higher standard, the CCAP sets forth goals with a clear and validated policy pathway for reaching those goals contrasted with climate plans that set emissions targets and actions based solely on policy direction.
Because the County recognizes that climate change threatens our residents who are already experiencing disproportionate environmental, economic, and social hardships, County staff prioritized racial equity throughout the planning process through inclusive community engagement, targeted stakeholder consultation, and an iterative evaluation of the equity implications of each proposed action. Meeting the CCAP’s goals will bring numerous communitywide benefits to all San Mateo County communities through improved public health, resilience to power shutoffs, reduced energy and transportation costs, improved access to livable wage career opportunities, and a vibrant agricultural community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with adopting the resolution to adopt the 2022 Draft General Plan Climate Element and the 2022 Draft Community Climate Action Plan. Implementation of the CCAP will require financial investments; staff will determine specific funding needs for the key strategies as part of the implementation process.
ATTACHMENTS:
A. 2022 Draft San Mateo County General Plan Climate Element.
B. 2022 Draft Community Climate Action Plan.
C. 2022 Draft Community Climate Action Plan Executive Summary.
D. 2022 Draft Community Climate Action Plan Highlights.
E. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Technical Appendix.
F. Final Initial Study - Negative Declaration.
G. Resolution Adopting the Negative Declaration for the 2022 Draft San Mateo County General Plan Climate Element and 2022 Draft Community Climate Action Plan.
H. Resolution Adopting the 2022 Draft San Mateo County General Plan Climate Element, Replacing the Existing General Plan Energy and Climate Change Element, and Adopting the 2022 Draft Community Climate Action Plan.