climate action planning progressin the san diego region

Climate Action Planning Progress in the San Diego Region

To All San Diegans,

Through extensive collaboration, the San Diego region has made marked improvements in the area of climate change with planning, cooperation and leadership. These accomplishments include:

• All 19 local governments have performed a greenhouse gas emissions inventory, and more than half have developed, or are working on, a climate action plan to reduce those emissions and deal with the local risks posed by climate change

• Regional efforts to manage risks we face such as diminishing water supplies and rising sea levels

• Unprecedented collaboration between local government, philanthropy, business, and nonprofits

The recent public engagement and priority-setting process, Our Greater San Diego Vision, demonstrated that residents throughout our region continue to feel a passionate connection to natural and open spaces, and consider clean air, water availability and water quality as important issues. However, these amenities are all threatened by climate change impacts, and their importance to the region justifies an ongoing call to action to mitigate those impacts – a call which The San Diego Foundation Malin Burnham Center for Civic Engagement is committed to heeding through continued philanthropic leadership on this issue.

This report serves as a marker of our region’s progress in planning for climate change, and illustrates much collaborative success that is cause for celebration. However, there is still work to be done. Climate action planning is just the beginning, and looking ahead, cities must continue to work together to reach the goals they have committed to in these plans, and integrate them with other local and regional policies that drive how our region lives, works, and plays. We hope these findings inspire us all to hold steadfast on our course to protect our great region.

Sincerely,

Bob Kelly

President & CEO, The San Diego Foundation

Emily Young, PhD

Senior Director, Environment Program The San Diego Foundation

Lisa Bicker

Chair, The Climate Initiative The San Diego Foundation

Table of Contents02 Acknowledgments

03 Executive Summary

04 Introduction

05 Federal, State, and Local Policy Context Federal Policies and Funding Initiatives

State Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Prepare for Climate Change

Regional Leaders and Collaboration in Addressing Climate Change

10 Methodology

12 Findings Local Government

Public Agencies

Collaboration and Partnerships

21 Looking Ahead

2 Climate Action Planning Progress in the San Diego Region

This report was prepared by The San Diego Foundation for the Climate Collaborative, to highlight the efforts of local governments and public agencies that are working together to address and prepare for climate change. Since 2006, The San Diego Foundation’s Climate Initiative has supported such efforts in order to deepen community awareness about the potential local impacts of climate change and spur regional action to reduce polluting emissions. Over the next few years, The San Diego Foundation will continue to work with local governments, nonprofits, businesses, and the community to advance regional efforts that curb

emissions and promote preparedness for climate change, in order to avoid some of its most harmful effects. The Climate Initiative is a program of The Foundation’s Malin Burnham Center for Civic Engagement. This Center serves as a hub of civic leadership by focusing on educating and inspiring people to participate in addressing critical community issues through research, public dialogue and focused action to advance the common good. For more information about The Foundation’s Climate Initiative, visit www.sdfoundation.org/CivicLeadership/Programs/Environment/Climate.aspx

The Climate Collaborative was established in 2012 among public entities working with private organizations to develop and implement plans, policies and programs that address and prepare for climate change in the San Diego region. Launched with investments by San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) Local Government Partnerships Program, current participation

includes the cities of Chula Vista and San Diego, County of San Diego, Port of San Diego, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), SDG&E, The San Diego Foundation and the University of San Diego. For more information about the Climate Collaborative, visit http://www.sdclimatecollaborative.org.

AcknowledgementsThis report and other projects of the Climate Initiative would not be possible without ongoing guidance from volunteers on The San Diego Foundation’s Climate Initiative Advisory Committee as well as the generous support from corporate partners such as Bank of America and The Qualcomm Foundation, as well as contributions from the Beyster Family Fund II, Blasker-Miah Rose Fund, Engel Family Fund, Hattie Ettinger Conservation Fund, Hervey Family Fund, Kresge Foundation, Orca Fund, Platt/Whitelaw Architects, Inc., TSX Group, and Zell Family Foundation, as well as other individual and anonymous donors.

A report prepared by The San Diego Foundation for the Climate Collaborative 3

Executive SummaryThe San Diego region is world-renowned for its great outdoors and quality of life. However, our region is changing and growing, with the population projected to grow by 50% within four decades. In a recent survey, area residents expressed concern about the future of our water supply, open space, air quality, transportation options, and job opportunities. These concerns may become more pronounced as climate change impacts our region. If current trends continue and climate action is not a priority at each level of government, expected outcomes include a hotter and drier climate, wildfires will be more frequent and intense, sea level will rise by 12-18 inches, and our water shortage will become much more severe by 2050 as a result of climate change.

This report assesses the progress of local action on climate change in the San Diego region, by comparing local government action to widely accepted milestones of climate action planning. An unprecedented number of local governments and public agencies in the region are working together with philanthropy, nonprofits, business and communities to address climate change, and ensure the ongoing vitality of our economy and environment. Some major accomplishments include:

• All 19 local governments (18 cities and the County of San Diego) have performed greenhouse gas emissions inventories

• More than half of these local governments are working on or have adopted a Climate Action Plan

• Several cities have integrated “adaptation” planning into their planning efforts to minimize harmful impacts of climate change in their community

There are several regional public agencies addressing climate change as well, including the Port of San Diego, San Diego County Water Authority, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the San Diego Airport Authority, and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.

This broad collaboration to address climate change has recently been formalized through the creation of the Climate Collaborative. This collaborative is a regional forum for public agencies to share expertise and leverage resources to facilitate climate action planning. By partnering with philanthropic foundations, academia, nonprofit organizations, and business and community leaders, these agencies work to inspire regional leadership and ensure a vibrant economy and healthy environment. This collaboration illustrates recognition that we will not reach individual agency or regional goals to address climate change if we do not work together and invest today in a strong economy and healthy environment.


IntroductionThroughout San Diego County, people have a long and rich history of local community pride and protection of our region’s clean air and water, natural lands and quality of life. But our region faces challenges, like all others throughout the world, from climate change and its impact on our natural resources and the health and well-being of our people and our future generations. These threats include dwindling local water supplies, increased fire risks, threats to human health, and the loss of jobs.

The good news is that many regions and localities are stepping up to this challenge to create innovative policies, plans and programs to enhance the preparedness of communities and address climate change at the community level. In fact, in the San Diego region, an unprecedented number of local governments and public agencies are coming together to address climate change and protect the region’s spectacular natural resources and enviable quality of life.

This document, Climate Action Planning Progress in the San Diego Region, was prepared by The San Diego Foundation for the Climate Collaborative. The Climate Collaborative is a regional forum for public agencies to share expertise, leverage resources, and partner with private institutions to facilitate climate action planning and projects. The Climate Collaborative was officially launched in 2012 with support from San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) Local Government Partnerships Program and participation from the Cities of Chula Vista and San Diego, County of San Diego, Port of San Diego, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), The San Diego Foundation and the University of San Diego.

This report is an assessment of local climate action planning in the San Diego region. It measures progress of local governments to plan for climate change, both to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the local impacts of climate change, by comparing action to accepted milestones of climate action planning. The report also highlights efforts underway by major public agencies in the region to address climate change, and identifies some key collaborative projects underway between government, business, and communities to address climate change in a coordinated manner.

Given the key milestones reached in climate action planning in the San Diego region to date, and the significant commitment from local governments and public agencies as highlighted throughout this report, the San Diego region can serve as a model for other regions in collaborating to address the most pressing potential impacts of climate change, especially to complement the State of California’s landmark climate change legislation and relevant federal programs and investments.


Federal, State and Local Policy Context Federal, state and local governments are all crucial in addressing issues that affect our quality of life and impact our ability to live safe and healthy lives. In terms of climate change, each level of government serves a unique role to influence the San Diego region’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the potential impacts from climate change on the region. The following information highlights some of the most significant policies to address climate change at each level of government in recent years, and provides the context for understanding what role local governments in the San Diego region are playing.


Federal Policies and Funding Initiatives

Despite there being no comprehensive federal legislation on climate change, there are several key policy and funding initiatives from the Federal government that have supported climate change action in the United States. One that has had significant impact in the San Diego region is the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which designated approximately $85 billion for energy and transportation related programs in the green economy.1 One result of this funding with significant local impact is the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program that funds local and state governments, among other entities, for energy efficiency and conservation programs and projects. The purpose of these funds is to reduce fossil fuel emissions, decrease the total energy use, improve energy efficiency, and create and retain jobs.2

Carlsbad $938,900 National City $561,700

Chula Vista $1,974,300 Oceanside $1,571,100

Coronado $125,762 Poway $212,800

Del Mar $25,000 San Diego $12,541,700

El Cajon $881,100 The San Diego County $5,140,200

Encinitas $554,200 San Marcos $738,800

Escondido $1,273,300 Santee $480,300

Imperial Beach $145,393 Solana Beach $70,365

La Mesa $506,200 Vista $849,300

Lemon Grove $132,374 TOTAL $28,722,794

1 http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/Clean_Economy_Report_Web.pdf p102 http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/arra/eecbg/index.php3 http://energycenter.org/index.php/public-affairs/federal-legislation/energy-efficiency-and-conservation-block-grants-eecbg

Figure 1: Allocation of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Funding in San Diego County3


A few examples of how EECBG funding was used in San Diego are outlined below:

4 http://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/energy/programsprojects/eecbg.shtml5 http://www.chulavistaca.gov/MajorProjects/StimulusScorecard/PDFs/EECBGPropProjectsList.pdf6 http://recovery-and-reinvestment-act.theblaze.com/l/171990/City-of-Oceanside-Energy-Efficiency-Planning-Retrofits-and-Transportation-Management-Center-Project7 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html8 The White House, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-signs-an-Executive-Order-Focused- on-Federal-Leadership-in-Environmental-Energy-and-Economic-Performance9 http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ceq/2011_adaptation_progress_report.pdf

The military has been a leader in addressing climate change to improve national

security, increase energy independence, and prepare for likely climate change

impacts such as sea level rise and extreme weather events. For instance, the

Department of the Navy is working towards a goal of at least 40% of total energy

consumption being generated from alternative sources by 2020. Given one in

four jobs in the San Diego region are defense-related, Navy and Marine Corps

investments in energy and fuel efficiency, clean energy, are helping advance San

Diego’s burgeoning clean tech cluster and leading the nation toward a clean

energy economy.

City of San Diego4

• Street light fixture retrofits• Climate mitigation and

adaptation planning

Chula Vista5

• Solar installations on municipal buildings

• Home and business energy efficiency and solar retrofits

Oceanside6

• City Hall retrofit• Traffic management systems

Also significant is the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act, including issuance of the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule. This Rule requires large sources to report greenhouse gas data, in order to help the federal government better understand where greenhouse gas emissions are coming from and inform policy, business, and regulatory decisions.7

Another federal policy with a significant impact on the San Diego region is Executive Order 13514. This Executive Order, signed by President Obama in 2009, requires Federal agencies to set goals in terms of increasing energy efficiency, conserving water, and reducing waste, among other sustainability measures.8 Given the important role that federal agencies, especially the U.S. Navy, play in our community and economy, this Order has resulted in an increase in investments and installations of clean energy, energy efficiency, and water efficient technologies in our region. To complement efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Executive Order 13514 also established the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force, and charged it with developing recommendations for the federal government to better prepare the country for the impacts of climate change.9


State Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Prepare for Climate ChangeWithin California, the passage of Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), or the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, was landmark legislation that created statewide greenhouse gas reduction goals for 2020. A central element of this plan is California’s emerging greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, which covers major sources of emissions in the State such as refineries, power plants, industrial facilities, and transportation fuels.10 The State has also recognized that local governments will be essential partners in reaching California’s ambitious goals.

Subsequently, Senate Bill 97 (SB 97) developed amendments to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to align with AB 32’s goals. Senate Bill 375 (SB 375) followed suit and in 2009 tasked the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to “develop regional reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions, and [prompt] the creation of

regional plans to reduce emissions from vehicle use throughout the state.”11 SB 375 is a tool that regional planning agencies and local governments in California can use to plan more sustainable communities. Notably, the San Diego region was the first in the State required to develop a plan to meet regional emission reduction goals, which was adopted in 2011.12

Additionally, recognizing that certain changes from global warming are unavoidable, despite global and national efforts to reduce emissions, the State is also proactively preparing for the impacts of climate change. In 2008, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger directed development of a “Climate Adaptation Strategy” through Executive Order S-13-18 to identify California’s vulnerabilities to climate change, especially sea level rise, and plan accordingly.13

10 http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/capandtrade.htm11 Southern California Association of Governments. http://www.scag.ca.gov/sb375/index.htm12 Learn more about SANDAG’s Sustainable Communities Strategy adopted for the San Diego region here http://www.sandag.org/index.asp?projectid=360&fuseaction=projects.detail 13 Office of Governor Edmund J. Brown, http://gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=11036


Regional Leaders and Collaboration in Addressing Climate Change

While efforts by the federal and state government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and impacts of climate change are critical, local government is a key partner in addressing climate change because of their unique authority and role in local communities. Indeed, a growing number of cities, counties and public agencies across the country have recognized that many of the actions that are essential to addressing climate change must ultimately be undertaken at the local level, for it is at this level that the impacts of climate change will differ. For example, recent warming in the Southwest United States is among the most rapid in the nation and well above the global average. The potential for increased droughts as a result of this warming is especially a concern because the Southwest continues to lead the nation in population growth. 14

Without significant climate action, the San Diego region will experience many

trends that threaten our quality of life, including:

A local opinion poll shows

that 72% of local residents believe

the San Diego region should lead

in California for setting goals to

reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The report Economic Vitality:

Clean Jobs in the San Diego Region

demonstrated that the region

is a fitting location for growth in the

green jobs sector, and is ranked

7th nationally for total green jobs.

In addition to these risks faced by the region of a changing climate, other key reasons for local action include economic benefits and community support for action. 15

14 “Global Climate Change Impacts in the U.S.” by the United States Global Change Research Program. http://globalchange.gov/images/cir/pdf/southwest.pdf

15 Reports assessing public opinions and the economic benefits of our region’s clean economy available at: http://www.sdfoundation.org/CivicLeadership/Programs/Environment/ResearchReports.aspx

• A hotter and drier climate• Wildfires will be more frequent and

intense• We will face a severe water shortage• Native plant and animal species will

be lost forever

• Sea level will be 12-18 inches higher• Public health will be at risk, especially

among our elderly and children• We will not be able to meet our energy

needs

San Diego’s Changing Climate: A Regional Wake-Up Call, a Summary of the Focus 2050 Study


MethodologyThe purpose of this report is to assess the progress of local governments and government agencies toward climate mitigation (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions) and adaptation (reduction of vulnerabilities to climate change impacts) in the San Diego region. For purposes of this report, progress at the local government level is gauged by using ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability’s five milestones for climate action planning. Both globally and nationally, ICLEI’s model has been at the forefront of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies and is therefore the basis for tracking local government progress in the San Diego region.


In order to measure progress of local government on meeting the milestones above, online research, surveys, and interviews were conducted16 and combined with information gathered from greenhouse gas inventories, climate action plans and collaborations from each of the 18 cities, the County and public agencies throughout San Diego County. Using ICLEI’s milestones as a guide, progress of each entity in planning for climate change impacts was tracked and compiled. This research initiated in 2007 and has been continuously updated through September 2012.

As climate change impacts are becoming more imminent, adaptation planning is increasingly important and widely accepted as a long-term strategy to address climate change.

Conduct a Climate Resiliency

Study

Set Preparedness

Goals

Develop a Climate

Preparedness Plan

Publish & Implement

Preparedness Plan

Monitor & Reevaluate Resiliency

Greenhouse Gas Inventory

Develop Targets for Reductions

Climate Action Plan Implement Monitor

Figure 2: ICLEI has five key milestones for climate mitigation

Figure 3: ICLEI also has five key milestones for climate adaptation

16 Surveys and interviews were undertaken with staff from local governments and public agencies during summers of 2011 and 2012.


Findings

Local governments in the San Diego region are engaged in climate action planning at an unprecedented level. Significant actions toward climate mitigation and adaptation have occurred in recent years, and several partnerships and collaborations have formed as a result. All 19 local governments (18 cities and the County) have performed greenhouse gas inventories and thus completed the first step in climate action planning. Furthermore, 14 of these local governments have committed to climate action through signing the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, becoming a member of ICLEI, and/or becoming a member of the Climate Registry. Finally, 11 of the 19 local governments are working on or have adopted a climate action plan, and Chula Vista and the City of San Diego have initiated implementation and monitoring of their climate change mitigation plans.

Local Government


In addition to widespread efforts to measure and initiate reduction of polluting emissions, several cities and agencies have taken steps regarding adaptation planning in the region. In 2010, Chula Vista adopted a climate preparedness plan, one of the first comprehensive municipal plans of its kind in California, and the City has already begun implementing it. The City of San Diego is in the process of developing a preparedness plan in conjunction with an update of its 2005 climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, in one of the nation’s first multijurisdictional efforts involving a port, the cities of Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City, and San Diego, along with the Port of San Diego and several nonprofits and other government agencies, have drafted strategies to address sea level rise projections in 2050 and beyond for San

Diego Bay. (Figure 5 outlines progress to date by local jurisdictions).

In addition to formal, adopted climate action plans, there are other local policies and tools through which local governments can also address climate change. While not measured comprehensively by analysis in this report, policy decisions can influence building codes to reduce energy use and emissions; general and community plans can provide goals, objectives, policies, standards and/or implementation measures in-line with the priorities of the region while addressing required elements of the plan. These other plans and policies represent a major opportunity to address climate change by incorporating elements that include an emissions inventory, emission targets, enforceable greenhouse gas emission control measures, and monitoring and reporting requirements.

Partnering with Local Government Through the Climate Initiative, The San Diego Foundation has invested more

than $1.7 million in research, public education, technical assistance, and

collaborative projects that can help governments and communities plan for a

changing climate. The Foundation launched this initiative in 2006 in recognition

that no one agency can tackle climate change alone, and includes government,

business, and nonprofits to catalyze comprehensive regional solutions to climate

change. The Climate Initiative relies on its Advisory Committee to evaluate

strategies for its successful implementation.


Conduct a Climate Resiliency

Study

Set Preparedness

Goals

Develop a Climate

Preparedness Plan

Publish & Implement

Preparedness Plan

Monitor & Reevaluate Resiliency

Greenhouse Gas Inventory

Develop Targets for Reductions

Climate Action Plan Implement Monitor

The level of involvement and the progress with climate action that has been made in the San Diego region over the last five years is impressive. In 2007, local governments in Chula Vista, Del Mar, and San Diego were the only local governments that had officially committed to addressing climate change. Notably, Chula Vista and San Diego were the only local governments that had completed greenhouse gas inventories or adopted a local climate action plan. The increase in commitment by local governments to address climate change has grown over the past five years and will continue to grow with increased capacity and resources. While inventories and action plans are critical first steps, implementation of action plans and regular evaluation of progress are critical to advancing efforts to address climate change.

Figure 4: Map of San Diego County with Jurisdictions

Figures 2 & 3: ICLEI’s milestones for climate mitigation and adaptation correspond to Figure 5.


Figure 5: Local Government Progress on Climate Mitigation and Adaptation

Com

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HG

In

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(Out of 6)

Dev

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r Re

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ions

Impl

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Mon

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Ada

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Dev

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a Cl

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an

Ado

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Cl

imat

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City of Chula Vista x x x x x x 6

City of San Diego x x x x x x 6

City of Encinitas x x x x x 5

City of National City x x x x x 5

City of Del Mar x x x 3

County of San Diego x x x 3

City of Solana Beach x x x 3

City of Carlsbad x x 2

City of Coronado x x 2

City of Escondido x x 2

City of Imperial Beach x x 2

City of Santee x x 2

City of Vista x x 2

City of El Cajon x 1

City of La Mesa x 1

City of Lemon Grove x* 1

City of Oceanside x 1

City of Poway x 1

City of San Marcos x 1

Figure 5 outlines each local government’s progress toward climate mitigation and adaptation according to ICLEI’s milestones as of September 2012.

* Inventory complete, but report is still being developed** Because adaptation is an emerging field and the milestones are more difficult to parse out for the purposes of this report, climate adaptation milestones are included in a single metric for “adaptation” to denote local governments that have progressed in adaptation planning.


Public Agencies

While local governments play a major role, many public agencies in the San Diego region have jurisdiction and/or influence over sectors or geographic areas that affect how climate change will impact our region. Several regional public agencies also addressing climate change include the Port of San Diego, San Diego County Water Authority, SANDAG, and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Several key actions of public agencies in the region are highlighted in the following section.

The Port of San Diego is currently developing a Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan to prepare for the impacts of climate change and present strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions along the tidelands managed by the Port District. This plan marks the first of its kind among Ports nationwide, and includes strategies that focus on sea level rise, water reuse and conservation, beach erosion, and energy demand. One important milestone of this plan is the Port Commission’s vote in 2012 to support a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by the year 2020 and an additional 25% by the year 2035, from a baseline year of 2006.

The San Diego County Water Authority is also developing a Climate Action Plan to focus on measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change impacts in the region, especially as they affect water supply in the region. This plan is being developed in conjunction with the 2012 Regional Water Facilities Optimization and Master Plan Update. Additionally, they are partnering with Scripps Institution of Oceanography to study the impacts of climate change on local water supplies to ensure infrastructure and services can accommodate the potential impacts of climate change. The findings will be included in the Water Authority’s next update of the Urban Water Management Plan. The Water Authority has also joined the Water Utility Climate Alliance, a forum for collaboration among ten of the nation’s largest water providers.

The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve’s (TRNERR) Coastal Training Program (CTP) offers climate change-focused professional and science-based trainings for coastal decision-makers such as elected officials, local government staff, land use planners, regulatory personnel, and coastal managers in the San Diego region. Additionally, CTP partnered with The San Diego Foundation and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability to deliver three stakeholder workshops to drive the development of the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategy for San Diego Bay. These workshops served as vehicles to build collaboration among participants, increase understanding of climate adaptation and resilience, and solicit critical feedback that informed the Adaptation Strategy. Because of their leadership in this area and involvement in the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team, TRNERR recently received a grant from NOAA’s Coastal and Ocean Climate Applications (COCA) program to conduct a vulnerability assessment and adaptation strategy for the Tijuana River Valley.

Additionally, the San Diego Regional Airport Authority signed a landmark agreement with the CA State Attorney General’s Office to reduce the airport’s greenhouse gas emissions. This agreement demonstrates the Airport Authority’s commitment to sustainability along with being one of the first major airports in the country to adopt a comprehensive Sustainability Plan. The current remodel underway at the Airport implements this commitment by providing electricity access to airplanes on the ground, transitioning shuttles to electric alternative-fuel vehicles, and installing cool roofs and solar panels among other efforts. This year, to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable practices and the importance of transparency, San Diego International Airport became the first major airport in the nation to produce an annual sustainability report through the Global Reporting Initiative.


SANDAG updated its Regional Energy Strategy in 2009 and developed a Regional Climate Action Strategy in part to inform later development of the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and Sustainable Communities Strategy adopted in 2011. The RTP is one of the most significant tools available to the region to reduce emissions, and the plan adopted in 2011 offers a significant number of strategies cities can work together with SANDAG to implement. These regional energy and climate strategies also provided guidance for the Energy Roadmap Program, a collaboration between SANDAG and SDG&E designed to assist local jurisdictions in developing a customized framework for energy saving policies for the jurisdiction and its constituents (Figure 6). The program launched in July 2010, and is based on the Sustainable Region Program that SANDAG piloted from 2005 through 2009 with the cities of Carlsbad, Poway and Solana Beach. To date, energy roadmaps have been initiated or completed for almost all 19 local governments in the region.

Local Governments Energy RoadmapCity of Chula Vista Complete

City of Coronado Complete

City of Encinitas Complete

City of Escondido Complete

City of Imperial Beach Complete

City of National City Complete

City of Oceanside Complete

City of San Marcos Complete

City of Santee Complete

City of Vista Complete

City of Carlsbad In Process

City of Del Mar In Process

City of El Cajon In Process

City of La Mesa In Process

County of San Diego In Process

City of Lemon Grove To begin in 2013

City of Poway To begin in 2013

City of San Diego To begin in 2013

City of Solana Beach To begin in 2013

Figure 6: SANDAG efforts to develop energy roadmaps with local governments


Collaboration and Partnerships

In addition to work by each individual local government and government agency, collaboration among these groups and others to address climate change preparedness is important to leverage complementary initiatives and save scarce resources through coordination. A few examples of collaborations and public-private partnerships underway in the San Diego region are listed below.

Climate Collaborative 17

The Climate Collaborative is a San Diego regional forum for public agencies to share expertise and leverage resources to facilitate climate action planning. By partnering with academia, nonprofit organizations, and business and community leaders, these agencies work to inspire regional leadership and ensure a vibrant economy and healthy environment. The Collaborative does this to: (1) address and prevent the harmful effects of climate change; (2) promote a high quality of life for the San Diego region; and (3) foster a green and growing economy. This collaboration illustrates recognition that we will not reach individual agency or regional goals to address climate change if we do not work together and invest today in a strong economy and healthy environment.

17 www.sdclimatecollaborative.org


Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategy for San Diego Bay 18

Supported by a grant from The San Diego Foundation’s Climate Initiative, this Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategy outlines ten recommended strategies to best manage the risks that sea level rise poses to the economic, environmental and community resources around San Diego Bay. The report resulted from a year-long collaborative process which engaged major stakeholders around the Bay, and was led by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability and a steering committee of representatives from the Airport Authority, Port of San Diego and its five member cities. The report included a climate change vulnerability assessment for San Diego Bay and ten broad recommendations for building resilience of community assets.

CleanTECH San Diego Streetlight Working Group 19

Streetlights typically consume 25% of a city’s electricity. The City of San Diego and CleanTECH San Diego are co-leading the San Diego Streetlight Working Group with sponsorship from SDG&E’s Local Government Energy Efficiency Program to retrofit existing streetlights throughout San Diego County with energy efficient induction and LED technologies. This project is taking advantage of stimulus funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Potential impacts of the streetlight retrofits include saving taxpayers an estimated $10 million annually, reducing energy consumption by 40%, and creating up to 600 jobs through tax incentives for hiring businesses, among others. Currently, the County, 13 local cities, and six public agencies are participating in this program and demonstrating the success of this collaboration.

San Diego Gas & Electric Local Government Partnerships 20

SDG&E has established several partnerships with local governments and government agencies to promote energy efficiency, demand response and conservation programs, services and resources, and provide energy education and outreach to their communities. Participation from five local governments, the County, and several public agencies has allowed energy conservation and outreach efforts to reach a wider audience and provided these groups with an important additional resource for climate action planning throughout the region. SDG&E is currently renewing these partnerships for 2013-2014.

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Project 21

Through this joint effort between ICLEI and local governments, 17 cities performed greenhouse gas emissions inventories with funding from The San Diego Foundation’s Climate Initiative and Kaiser Permanente. Given two other cities, Chula Vista and San Diego, had already completed inventories for their jurisdictions, this resulted in all 19 local governments in our region having performed a baseline emissions inventory. Complementing the completion of such inventories, a Regional Climate Protection Network formed that convenes regularly and is designed to provide participating local governments and public agencies with a regional forum for provision of ongoing training, technical assistance and networking in order to advance planning in our region to reduce emissions and enhance resiliency to a changing climate.

18 http://www.icleiusa.org/climate_and_energy/Climate_Adaptation_Guidance/san-diego-bay-sea-level-rise-adaptation-strategy-1/san-diego-bay-sea-level-rise- adaptation-strategy19 http://www.cleantechsandiego.org/streetlight-working-group 20 For more information about SDG&E’s partners, please visit http://www.sdge.com/our-commitment/energy-efficiency-partnership-programs/local-government-partnerships21 http://www.sdfoundation.org/CivicLeadership/Programs/Environment/ResearchReports/GreenhouseGasEmissionsReports.aspx


The Integrated Regional Water Management Program 22

Aimed at securing long-term water supply reliability in the San Diego region, the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) is an interdisciplinary effort to coordinate water management efforts and includes the San Diego County Water Authority, the City of San Diego, and the County of San Diego. One of the guiding principles behind this collaboration is recognition that water supplies and the environment are strongly connected, and the health of the environment will affect future water supplies. Recently, the IRWM formed a Climate Change Work Group that will summarize information and prioritize activities to mitigate the impacts of climate change on water-related issues in the region and inform the 2013 IRWM Plan Update. The Climate Change Work Group operates under an inclusive process that is open to regional stakeholders.

Climate Education Partners 23

Funded by an almost $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, this partnership between local academic institutions, civic groups and communication experts is studying local perspectives regarding climate change and its impacts on the region. Partners are led by the University of San Diego, and are comprised of California State University San Marcos, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, The San Diego Foundation, and The Steve Alexander Group. The goal for this partnership is to understand how best to communicate the causes and consequences of climate change in the San Diego region, and work with key regional leaders to identify how to best adapt to or prevent the likely impacts to our region.

22 http://www.sdirwmp.org/ 23 http://www.sandiego.edu/climate/


Looking AheadWhile significant local climate action progress has been made in recent years, there are many opportunities to move this critical work forward and support robust implementation of climate action plans. One such opportunity is to create stronger connections between climate action plans and general, regional and community plans, plans that guide community growth and development and which local governments are required to develop and regularly update. There are many resources available to local governments in developing these plans with climate change in mind, including guidance from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association and in SANDAG’s regional plans. These resources include state legislation related to greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and even offer suggested language and general plans that can act as models for addressing climate change.

Along with these opportunities come significant challenges. Like most other regions across the country, governments in San Diego County are operating under constrained budgets. For this reason, local governments will likely rely on public-private partnerships to develop innovative financing tools to help implement the climate action plans. Additionally, meeting the emissions reduction and preparedness goals in existing and future climate action plans will require ongoing dialogue, cooperation and coordination with the local business and nonprofit community as well as engagement from community residents. Finally, while there is broad consensus in the scientific community that the climate is changing, and public opinion research shows strong support from regional residents, this issue continues to polarize political discourse, sometimes hindering local action. By working together and investing today in efforts to reduce polluting emissions and promote climate preparedness, we can ensure a vibrant economy and healthy environment for generations to come.

Looking ahead, while some programs and policies are

already in place in local jurisdictions to reduce greenhouse

gas emissions, much more remains to be done to prepare

for the unavoidable impacts of climate change. There is an

ongoing, practical need to collaborate, share information and

resources, and continue to work toward addressing climate

change on a regional level, to help advance broader efforts

at the state, national and international levels. The San Diego

region’s commitment has demonstrated the capacity for local

government and public agencies to address climate change

impacts, and will continue to act as a model for other regions

in their efforts to address climate change on a local scale and

regional level.

22 Climate Action Planning Progress in the San Diego Region22 The Malin Burnham Center for Civic Engagement at The San Diego Foundation:

Rev. 01/2013

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PLEASE CONTACT US:

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Join us on:

Lisa Bicker Climate Initiative, Chair Co-founder and Former Executive Director of CleanTECH San Diego

David Engel Climate Initiative, Vice Chair

Congressman Scott Peters 52nd District (Climate Initiative, Immediate Past Chair)

Scott Anders Energy Policy Initiatives Center

Risa Baron San Diego Gas & Electric

Lisa Briggs Sempra Energy

Christina Gonzales Justice Overcoming Boundaries

Jason Foster San Diego County Water Authority

Judy Forrester Bank of America

Molly Gavin Qualcomm

Jill Gravender EcoStrategies

Ben Haddad California Strategies, LLC

Andy Hamilton Air Pollution Control District

Brian Holland ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability

Debra Kelley American Lung Association in California

Bob Leiter Urban and Environmental Planning

Michael Meacham City of Chula Vista

Devon Muto ICF International

Linda Gianelli Pratt City of San Diego

The San Diego Foundation Climate Initiative Advisory Committee

The San Diego Foundation Staff

Climate Collaborative Agencies and Organizations

BongHwan (BH) Kim Vice President/Executive Director, The San Diego Foundation’s Malin Burnham Center for Civic Engagement

Daniel Beintema Vice President, Operations

Emily Young, PhD Senior Director, Environment Program

Emily Welborn Guevara, MESM, Manager, Center for Civic Engagement, Research & Analysis

Nicola Hedge, MPIA, Manager, Climate Initiative

City of Chula Vista

City of San Diego

County of San Diego

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