Carlsbad, Encinitas and La Mesa ace climate report card, but not San Diego
Climate nonprofit says cities need to move past lofty goas and toward specific actions. A new countywide report card by the Climate Action Campaign has found that climate plans in Carlsbad, Encinitas and La Mesa are the best in California, with California needing to nearly triple its cut emissions rate since 2010 to meet its 2030 emissions target. Eight cities with "legally enforceable" climate action plans are subject to lawsuits if they fail to follow through. The report's author, Anthony Dang, suggested that cities that pledged to reduce driving should immediately spend on "complete streets" projects. San Diego, Oceanside, Chula Vista, Escondido, San Marcos and Vista also received middling marks for their slow progress in implementing their climate plans. The San Diego Association of Governments received a $1 million grant from the EPA to produce a climate action plan for the entire region.
Pubblicato : 11 mesi fa di Andrew Keatts in Environment
Climate plans in Carlsbad, Encinitas and La Mesa got the top marks in a new countywide report card from the nonprofit Climate Action Campaign. Why it matters: California needs to nearly triple the rate at which it has cut greenhouse gasses since 2010 if it's going to meet its 2030 emissions target.
• The state has cut emissions about 1.5% per year since 2010 but needs to shave 4.4% each year to reach its goal.
Catch up quick: Eight cities have "legally enforceable" climate action plans, meaning they not only set emission-reduction targets and outlined policies needed to meet them, but are subject to lawsuits if they don't follow through.
• CAC sued the city of San Diego in 2022 over its plan and reached a settlement earlier this year that commits the city to produce annual progress reports, hold public hearings and plan changes if it falls short.
Driving the news: This year's report card only graded cities by how well they're implementing their climate plans, not the loftiness of their blueprints.
• "Without implementation plans and funding dollars, it makes climate action plans aspirational — they don't mean a lot without actual action," said Anthony Dang, the report's author.
Case in point: Cities that pledged to reduce driving should immediately spend on "complete streets" projects, Dang said.
Friction point: Many city plans call to electrify buildings — phasing out gas-burning appliances for electric alternatives — by prohibiting gas plumbing in new construction.
• That effort suffered a major blow when a state appeals court ruled the city of Berkeley's ordinance was illegal.
• CAC praised Encinitas for pursuing another route — a code that allows gas plumbing but incentivizes all-electric construction to make it the cheaper option.
• "That's what we consider the gold standard going forward," said Anthony Dang, the report's author.
State of play: Carlsbad, Encinitas and La Mesa got the top grades for taking steps to implement their already-adopted plans.
• San Diego, Oceanside, Chula Vista, Escondido, San Marcos and Vista got middling marks for dragging their feet on turning aspirations into action.
• San Diego's grade did not account for implementation requirements included in its settlement of the CAC lawsuit because that begins next year.
What we're watching: The San Diego Association of Governments received a $1 million grant from the EPA to produce a climate action plan for the entire region.
• It released an initial report in March and needs to produce a comprehensive plan by next July.
• "Climate change doesn't know what municipal boundaries are," Dang said. "We have to work collaboratively as a region."