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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]

The five sectors identified by the city have been further divided into six specific strategies, each with individual targets.[8] Strategy 1, Decarbonization of the Built Environment, focuses on transforming city infrastructure to utilize cleaner energy sources.[8] San Diego Community Power has been tasked with supplying clean energy for new buildings as part of this decarbonization effort.[9] Strategy 2, Access to Clean and Renewable Energy, aims to provide alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.[8] 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.[10] Strategy 3, Mobility and Land Use, focuses on urban planning that prioritizes reliable and energy efficient transportation.[8] This includes the development of a Mobility Action Plan that aims to reduce cost, improves efficiency, and integrate climate resiliency into transportation infrastructure.[11] Strategy 4, Circular Economy and Clean Communities, is targeted towards waste reduction.[8] Progress towards this goal thus far has been linked to the City Recycling Ordinance which mandates recycling of eligible materials.[12] 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.[8] Efforts have been concentrated on developing an urban forest in Balboa Park.[13] Strategy 6, Emerging Climate Action, concentrates on the role of community partnerships to implement and monitor the previous five strategies.[8]

Goals focused on emissions reductions (measured in MT ${\displaystyle {\ce {CO2}}}$e, or metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) through 2035. The baseline used for the action plan was based on a 2010 report in which the total emissions were 12,984,993 MT of ${\displaystyle {\ce {CO2}}}$e. The projected emissions, if no changes were implemented, for the year 2020 is 14,124,690 MT of ${\displaystyle {\ce {CO2}}}$e, the year 2030 projection is 15,856,604 MT of ${\displaystyle {\ce {CO2}}}$e, and the year 2035 projection is 16,716,020 MT of ${\displaystyle {\ce {CO2}}}$e.[2] The climate action plan for the city of San Diego estimated reductions to 11,037, 244 MT of ${\displaystyle {\ce {CO2}}}$e by the year 2020, 7,790,996 MT of ${\displaystyle {\ce {CO2}}}$e by the year 2039, and 6,492,497 of MT of ${\displaystyle {\ce {CO2}}}$e by the year 2035.[2] Additionally, green job creation is one of the goals outlined in the action plan specifically for creating jobs in innovation and continuing the "green initiative" for the city. San Diego leaders emphasized job creation as the city was number seven on the 2017 U.S Clean Tech Leadership Index.[14] In the draft 2021 version of the plan, city leaders proposed changing the 2035 goal to net zero emissions.[15]