Image: Kimi Albertson on Unsplash

A Pathway to Zero

As we are faced with a rapidly worsening climate crisis, it has never been more important for the City to set an ambitious, science-based goal that encompasses our fair share of GHG emissions. Achieving a goal of net zero GHG emissions by 2035 requires accelerated, bold action that goes beyond former commitments, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, and serves as an example to the rest of the world the level of response necessary to ensure a sustainable future for communities.

About the CAP

To ensure we are leveraging global expertise and research to set a path forward, the City utilized the best available data and globally accepted methodologies to develop the goal. The City utilized the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Community Protocol to develop science-based targets for 2030 and 2035 and used a starting year of 2019 as detailed in Appendix C for projections. These targets also account for the City’s “fair share” of GHG emission reduction potential by accounting for gross domestic product (GDP), which allows more accountability for historic responsibility and current capacity to address the climate crisis relative to cities across the world. Historically, the United States has been the second largest source of GHG emissions globally.

California’s AB32 (2006) and SB32 (2016) legislation set a state GHG avoidance goal of returning to 1990 emissions levels by 2020, and reducing a further 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. It requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to develop a Scoping Plan that lays out California’s strategy for meeting the goals. The goals in this Climate Action Plan are consistent with the requirements of SB32, exceeding the necessary GHG reduction targets. The State has committed to carbon neutrality by 2045 through carbon sinks, carbon capture or carbon storage. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recognizes in its Climate Change Scoping Plan that city-level data does not exist to determine what 1990 levels were, so it is assumed that GHG emissions in 2020 are representative of 1990 levels. The City acknowledges that 2020 emissions data may have impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, so the 2019 GHG emissions inventory is likely the most representative under normal circumstances in achieving the 2020 goal of AB32.

After accounting for all strategies, the City has identified within this CAP there will be residual GHG emissions, or those emissions that will remain after all actions have been implemented. Strategy 6 has been developed for this CAP to better understand where opportunities exist to pursue those additional actions that will be necessary to achieve the GHG goal and prioritize core benefits such as improving air quality.

On March 25, 2020, the San Diego City Council passed Resolution Number 312891: Declaring a Climate Emergency and the Need for Accelerated Action to Address the Climate Crisis. The resolution acknowledges the need for accelerated local action to address the climate crisis and is the foundation for the ambitious net zero goal laid out within the CAP.