California Sustainability Alliance

The California Sustainability Alliance is an organization funded by the California IOUs, to facilitate discussions between various industries on the issues of resource sustainability. The Alliance was set up in 2008 to help California meet its goals in facing Climate change in the State, in relation to energy, resources, and the environment. Efforts are directed at increasing and accelerating sustainable measures and strategies. The Alliance specifically focuses on energy efficiency, climate action, “smart growth” principles, renewable energy development, water-use efficiency, waste management, and transportation management within California.

California Sustainability Alliance
IndustrySustainability
Founded2008
Area served
California, United States
Websitehttp://www.sustainca.org

What is an Alliance and how does it work?

An alliance is a collaborative partnership between two or more entities, often companies or organizations, formed to achieve mutually beneficial goals. These alliances are built on shared objectives, trust, and a commitment to work together for a common purpose. They allow each participant to leverage their strengths and resources to accomplish what might be challenging or impossible individually. The nature of alliances can vary, from less formal agreements to more structured and legally binding partnerships.

The California Sustainability Alliance operates as an alliance in the context of environmental sustainability. It is a collaborative partnership between various stakeholders, including governmental bodies, environmental organizations, and private sector entities. This alliance is formed with the common goal of advancing sustainable practices and addressing the challenges posed by climate change.

Much like any alliance, the California Sustainability Alliance operates through shared objectives, trust, and cooperation. Its members work together to leverage their resources, expertise, and influence to drive initiatives that promote clean energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance environmental protection. This can involve actions such as policy development, research, public awareness campaigns, and the implementation of sustainable technologies.

In essence, the California Sustainability Alliance embodies the principles of an alliance by uniting multiple parties with diverse capabilities under a shared mission: to create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future for the state of California.

Function

The Alliance's main functions include sharing and developing toolkits, resources and pilot programs that aid in the planning and implementation of sustainability initiatives within California.[1] These tools and resources include:

  • California Local Energy Efficiency Program (CALeep): Designed to help California's local governments plan and implement highly effective energy efficiency initiatives in their communities.[2]
  • Emerald California Pilot Program: Emerald Cities[3] is designed to help local governments adopt ‘reach goals’ that go beyond simply complying with State environmental mandates, and implement sustainability programs that support California's environmental priorities. The Alliance is the lead implementer of this California Department of Conservation pilot program.
  • Green General Plan Toolkit: Recognizes five key sustainability principles that local governments may wish to consider in developing their green general plans: strategic emissions reduction, smart land use & planning, responsible resource use, integrated transportation, and innovative waste management.
  • Green Leases Toolkit: This toolkit supports tenants and landlords in developing their own green leasing policies and requirements; measuring and comparing the green attributes of different buildings, developing specific lease language and communicating policies and requirements to the market.
  • Green Tenant Guide: This guide helps organizations learn how to work with their staff to set clear and feasible sustainability goals, establish buy-in and excitement, define metrics, and measure and communicate results.
  • Local Government Green Procurement Guide: A guidebook to help local governments adopt an environmentally friendly procurement purchasing plan. This guidebook provides local government staff and decision-makers with a variety of tools and resources to help them implement green purchasing programs.
  • Local Government Operations Protocol Toolkit: A tool for accounting and reporting Greenhouse gas emissions across a local government's operations. It was adopted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in September 2008[4] for local governments to develop and report consistent and accurate GHG inventories and to help meet California's AB 32 GHG reduction obligations.
  • Local Government Resources Toolkit: This resource helps cities and counties identify and locate tools and funding sources to help their communities set and meet sustainability goals.

Recent research

California Struggles with Clean Energy Pledge

California's attempt of clean energy faces hurdles due to the intermittent nature of solar and wind power. Although these renewable sources are cost-effective, their variability leads to concerns about potential blackouts. This issue is not new, as experts expressed doubts in 2015 about whether California's green energy mandate could be met. Critics suggested ending the mixing of energy sources as a solution.

To address this challenge, government officials are advocating for investments in solar-ion batteries, which can provide some support. The Newsom administration aims to extend renewable energy project deadlines by four months, offering a potential solution. Furthermore, there's a proposal under consideration by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to reduce reliance on gas power plants, potentially contributing to cleaner energy.

Currently, California relies on geothermal plants that generate power round the clock, but we need solar and wind installations that can store energy for extended periods. Long-term infrastructure projects and smaller-scale solutions like rooftop solar, individual systems, and energy-saving incentives are being explored to balance cost-effective measures against climate change while ensuring reliable energy supply.

Another alternative involves collaborating with neighboring Western states, such as Wyoming, to harness their abundant wind resources, which could help California access out-of-state wind energy to bolster its clean energy initiatives.

Basics of Wildlife Habitat Restoration

Wildlife habitat restoration plays a pivotal role in human efforts to restore and protect natural habitats. The Lehigh Valley faces a critical issue as human activities, such as road construction and power line development, endanger vital wildlife habitats and pave the way for invasive species to thrive.

The consequences of environmental degradation are substantial and concerning, including the potential extinction of native flora and fauna, which could have far-reaching impacts on a variety of species.

In response to these challenges, there is a concentrated effort to balance the growth of townships within the Lehigh River Watershed with the imperative to maintain environmental integrity. This requires collaboration with landowners and local communities to rehabilitate and safeguard degraded habitats. The approach involves establishing natural zones and promoting the growth of non-predatory indigenous plant species. Additionally, it necessitates the implementation of effective management practices, particularly in addressing noninvasive plants that could pose invasive threats to the ecosystem.

Quick Overview of California’s Groundwater Laws

In 2014, a shift took place in California's approach to groundwater management. For the first time, the state established control over 85% of its population and an agriculture industry worth over $50 billion that heavily relied on groundwater.

This change prompted various agencies to develop their initial Groundwater Action Plans in preparation for the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) taking effect. Before SGMA, water rights in California were intrinsically tied to land ownership, with aquifer access entitlements allowing landowners to extract groundwater without a well-defined regulatory framework. For decades, this lack of oversight led to excessive pumping of groundwater, resulting in land subsidence as aquifers depleted.

The prompting for intervention was a severe drought that commenced in 2011, leading to irrigation districts across the state fiercely competing for dwindling water resources. Wealthier groups increased their production while cutting losses, exacerbating the strain on groundwater. Despite these actions, the situation worsened as no replenishing rainfall occurred during the prolonged drought.

Over the course of six years, the ongoing drought left smaller farmers and private groundwater well owners with insufficient water resources. This crisis underscored that the groundwater problem had been decades in the making. Despite objections, the local governments in the Central Valley, supported by agribusiness and the California Farm Bureau, approved a package of measures to address the issue.

Sustainability Showcase Awards

The California Sustainability Alliance began distinguishing organizations through the creation of their Annual Sustainability Showcase Awards (in 2008, 2009 and 2010). The Alliance awards were given to organizations within California that had successfully implemented sustainable policies, programs, practices and technologies.


The 2008 winners included:


The 2009 winners included:

  • Jones Lang LaSalle, recognized for their efforts to minimize buildings' environmental impacts by creating real value energy and sustainability for their clients and within their own operations.
  • Los Angeles Housing Partnership, recognized as a leader within the affordable housing industry due to its early adoption of sustainable practices, energy efficiency, renewable resources, water efficiency, smart growth and more.[8]
  • Town of Los Gatos, recognized[9] for their employee and community commitment to promote and implement sustainability programs and practices.
  • City of Santa Monica, recognized as an early adopter of sustainable practices[10] throughout all aspects of their local government and awarded the 2009 Grand Prize Winner by the Alliance.
  • County of San Diego, recognized for building strong sustainable communities[11] by working with their internal departments as well as partnering with local utilities and organizations to maximize adoption of sustainability best practices.
  • Sonoma County Water Agency, recognized for their commitment to provide carbon-free water by 2015[12] and for all of their sustainable programs and best practices that are helping them achieve this goal.
  • Los Angeles Community College District, recognized for working with leading environmental organizations and for developing innovative sustainability policies, including LACCD Builds Green campus projects,[13] that place them on the forefront of social and environmental responsibility.


The 2010 winners included:

  • Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, distinguished for their Environmental Sustainability Program, which has fostered great collaboration among the Park's institutions, developed social and environmental metrics to measure success, and implemented a number of energy saving, renewable resource, and waste reduction measures.[14]
  • Eden Housing, distinguished for its high quality affordable housing in Northern California for over 40 years. The company focuses on making all of its business practices sustainable.
  • City of Chula Vista, distinguished for its Climate Change Protection Program across all city departments to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy, foster alternative vehicle use, improve water efficiency, and design walkable transit-friendly communities.[15]
  • Santa Clara Valley Water District, distinguished for their award-winning water use efficiency and conservation program and its greenhouse gas emission reduction program.[16]


The 2010 honorable mentions included:

  • EAH Housing, distinguished for its company-wide sustainability initiatives that cover all areas of operation, from new development, acquisition and rehab to property management and corporate operations.
  • City of Tulare, distinguished for its commitment to ensuring sustained economic and environmental vitality for future generations of residents. As part of its efforts, the City has implemented extensive building retrofits and residential solar programs.

References
  1. California Government "Green California" Archived 2010-06-17 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed June 14, 2010.
  2. California Sustainability Alliance "CALeep", Accessed July 21, 2010.
  3. CA State Department of Conservation "Emerald Cities" Archived 2010-06-17 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed June 14, 2010.
  4. The Climate Registry "Local Government Operations Protocol" Archived 2010-06-01 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed June 14, 2010.
  5. Inland Empire Utilities Agency "U.S. Green Building Council" Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine, United States Green Building Council, Accessed June 14, 2010.
  6. Thomas Properties Group "CAL/EPA Press Release" Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed June 14, 2010.
  7. University of California "Policy on Sustainable Practices", Accessed June 14, 2010.
  8. Los Angeles Housing Partnership "LAHP Awards", Accessed June 14, 2010.
  9. Town of Los Gatos "Environmental Sustainability", Accessed June 14, 2010.
  10. The City of Santa Monica "Santa Monica Office of Sustainability and the Environment", Santa Monica, California, Accessed June 14, 2010.
  11. San Diego, California "Sustainable Community Program", Accessed June 14, 2010.
  12. Sonoma County Water Agency "Carbon Free Water", Accessed June 14, 2010.
  13. Los Angeles Community College District "LACCD Builds Green", Accessed June 14, 2010.
  14. Balboa Park Cultural Partnership Sustainability Program "Environmental Sustainability Program" Archived 2012-07-11 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed August 3, 2012.
  15. City of Chula Vista "Climate Action Planning" Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed August 3, 2012.
  16. Santa Clara Valley Water District "Water Conservation Program" Archived 2012-07-24 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed August 3, 2012.
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