HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 4 - Written Communications - HarrisApril 19, 2021
VIA EMAIL
Mayor and City Council
City of Chula Vista, City Hall
276 Fourth Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91910
RE: Climate Action Campaign Comments on the Climate Change Working Group (CCCWG)
Recommendations to Chula Vista City Council
Dear Mayor Salas and Council Members,
Climate Action Campaign (CAC) is an environmental nonprofit organization based in San Diego
and Orange County with a simple mission: to stop the climate crisis through effective policy
action.
The 2018 UN IPCC Special Report on Global Warming warns that in order to stave off the most
devastating impacts of the climate crisis, including worsening drought, floods, extreme heat,
and wildfires, we must entirely eliminate emissions by mid-century. This critical moment in
history demands that at every level of government, we must take unprecedented action to slash
greenhouse gas emissions and ensure a safe and livable future for all.
The CCWG has identified seven Climate Action Recommendations to be considered by the
Sustainability Commission and City Council for adoption. Below are our comments on ways to
strengthen those CCWG recommendations, and to align them with the most up to date climate
science. Additionally, we urge the City to incorporate each of our comments into a
comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CAP) update.
Zero Carbon
As a long-term planning document, we urge you to ensure the CAP’s horizon year is extended to
2045 or later, and that the emissions reduction target commits to zero carbon by 2045 or
sooner.
Item 4 - Written Communications - Harris
Recommendation 7 states, “Adopt a GHG reduction goal of carbon neutrality by 2045.” We urge
the Council to instead adopt a zero carbon target, to ensure the City is making progress on
direct emissions reductions.
The next CAP Update presents a critical opportunity for Chula Vista to realign climate planning
efforts with the targets identified by climate science, as well as statewide goals. A Zero Carbon
commitment would again make Chula Vista a national leader on climate action.
Eliminate Building Emissions Through Building Electrification
Even as our cities work to achieve 100% clean electricity, natural gas remains one of the most
significant sources of emissions in our region, so to fully transition away from fossil fuels, we
must reduce and ultimately eliminate natural gas consumption. Because natural gas
infrastructure lasts several decades--locking the region into years of increasing emissions--it is
critical to incorporate key building electrification measures in the CAP.
Recommendation 2 states, “Implement education and outreach to support decarbonization in
new construction and evaluate incentives and building code options to eliminate GHG emissions
associated with building energy use.”
We recommend CAP measures calling for ordinances that require all newly constructed or
renovated buildings to be all-electric, as well as providing incentives and streamlining to
electrify existing buildings.
We also recommend centering equity in any building electrification plan, and developing an
inclusive community engagement process to gather feedback from communities most impacted
by dangerous indoor air pollution from gas infrastructure and appliances.
Transit, Walking and Biking
We applaud Recommendation 5, which states “Ensure implementation of the Chula Vista Active
Transportation Plan to increase protected bike lanes, or highest level of protection possible,
where active transportation collisions have occurred.”
Item 4 - Written Communications - Harris
To that end,we recommend much more aggressive and specific CAP mode share targets for
biking, walking, and transit. Currently, the Chula Vista’s CAP contains overall alternative
commute mode share targets (7% by 2020 and 9% by 2035). For example, the City of San Diego
has set a target of 50% commutes in Transit Priority Areas by bike, walk, and transit by 2035.
Additionally, Recommendation 4 states, “Implement education and outreach in support of
vehicle decarbonization...” To meet the needs of Executive Order N-79-20, which calls for
requiring 100% zero emission vehicle sales by 2035 in California, we encourage Chula Vista to
pursue implementation of EV charging stations throughout the City.
Social Equity and Environmental Justice
Recommendation 6 states, “Adopt a Climate Equity Index to address environmental and social
equity,” and we applaud the City for pursuing the development of this critical project.
The CAP should also include a Social Equity section which explicitly defines how the
communities most impacted by the climate crisis and environmental injustices, identified
through the CEI, will be prioritized in the implementation of GHG reduction strategies, including
affordable housing development and investments in urban forestry, active transportation,
renewable energy, and energy efficiency measures.
The development and implementation of this methodology should take place in consultation
with a diverse set of stakeholders and organizations that represent low-income communities
and communities of color who are disproportionately harmed by a fossil fuel economy and are
hurt first and worst by the impacts of climate change.
For examples of Climate Action Plans that integrate equity, we recommend referencing the King
County 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan,Oakland Equitable Climate Action Plan, the
“Planning for a Boston Green New Deal and Just Recovery” Plan, and the Los Angeles’s
Sustainability Plan “LA’s Green New Deal.”
Zero Waste
Recommendation 1 states, “Approve and implement zero waste plan recommendation to
eliminate the use of single use plastics.”
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Waste decaying in landfills emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and as such, we urge the
Council to implement this zero waste plan as soon as possible.
Conclusion
At a time when families and the economy are struggling from the layered challenges of the
COVID-19 pandemic, we believe strengthening the Climate Action Recommendations and
including them in a CAP Update can serve as a tool to help build back a more equitable and
sustainable Chula Vista. We urge you to seize this opportunity to put Chula Vista back on the
map as a climate leader, and to ensure a livable, healthy, prosperous, safe, and equitable future.
Thank you for the opportunity to weigh in on the development of these critically important
climate actions, and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. We are
available as a resource and a partner.
Sincerely,
Noah Harris
Policy Advocate
Climate Action Campaign
Item 4 - Written Communications - Harris