Advocate for Effective Local Climate Action

Throughout the state, country, and world, communities are acting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to stabilize the climate. Sacramento County joined this effort in December 2020 by adopting a resolution declaring a climate emergency:
https://www.saccounty.net/news/latest-news/Pages/Board-Approves-Declaration-of-Climate-Emergency.aspx

The resolution conveys the urgency of the climate crisis, which unfortunately is not reflected in the public draft of the County of Sacramento Climate Action Plan: https://planning.saccounty.net/PlansandProjectsIn-Progress/Pages/CAP.aspx

You can respond to the draft County of Sacramento Climate Action Plan by submitting comments by April 9 via email to: ClimateActionPlan@saccounty.net.

It will help our lobbying efforts if you BCC us at actionalerts@ncjwsac.org

Suggested comments on the Climate Action Plan (CAP):

1. The public draft of the CAP should specifically address the directives and goals of the County of Sacramento Climate Emergency Declaration (CED). This is just common sense as well as good government. The CAP is the foundational document of the county’s response to climate change and the current version should address the goals and actions needed to mitigate the climate crisis now. Delaying inclusion of mitigation measures and goals until the next CAP will have significant deleterious consequences.

2. The public outreach for the CAP needs to be improved in several ways: by lengthening the public comment period to 60 days from 30 days, and by seeking public participation through many methods of outreach, including more workshops for the public. The current review process for the CAP has provided less opportunity for public involvement than other current County plans. Public outreach should be consistent with the CED directive that “the scope and scale of action necessary to stabilize the climate will require unprecedented levels of public awareness, engagement and deliberation to develop and implement effective, just and equitable policies to address the climate crisis.”

3. The CAP needs to provide a specific implementation plan for the suggested measures, which includes regular monitoring and methods to adapt to changing conditions.

4. The CAP should commit to keeping and using carbon offset funds locally, by funding local measures which reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or help the community adapt to climate change impacts.

5. Environmental Justice measures, which mitigate the impacts of climate change on communities that suffer the greatest impacts, as identified by the CED, need to be included in the plan. Carbon offsets should be identified as a funding source.

6. The plan should include provisions for land use measures which will stabilize greenhouse emissions, including incentives for infill development and development near transportation hubs. The plan should address current county policies which facilitate “leapfrog” development that result in increasing greenhouse gas emissions due to increased transportation emissions.