Climate Action Campaign along with SanDiego350 and Surfrider San Diego submitted a joint recommendation letter to the City of Encinitas regarding an upcoming update to its Climate Action Plan (CAP).
Encinitas first adopted its current gold standard Climate Action Plan in 2018 demonstrating how a comprehensive climate strategy leads to clean air, safe streets, affordable clean energy, and economic benefits to families and businesses. The recommendations in the letter are in response to recent climate science reports including the UN IPCC Report Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5⁰ C and the State of California’s new Executive Order, B-55-18, which point to the increasing urgency in fighting the climate crisis.
The following are the recommendations included in the letter authored by Climate Action Campaign;
Plan for Carbon Neutrality by 2045 in Line With State Targets
As a long-range planning document, we recommend that Encinitas’s CAP planning horizon extend until at least 2045, and the target for that year should align with Executive Order B-55-18 to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
Eliminate Building Emissions by 2045 Through Building Electrification
Targets and strategies are included to electrify municipal, commercial, and residential buildings in order to fully transition away from fossil fuel and ultimately eliminate natural gas consumption.
Include Strategies Encouraging Telecommuting
The City is encouraged to work with employers and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for telecommuting. Telecommuting can be an effective strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector.
Commit to Ambitious Mode Share Targets for Biking, Walking, and Transit
It is recommended to set overall targets for pedestrian, bicycle, and mass transit mode shares in order to continue shifting people away from driving.
Include Smart Land Use Policies with Affordable Housing Near Transit
Measures are included to increase the supply of affordable housing near transit.
The full letter which goes into more detail for each recommendation can be accessed below.
https://sandiego.surfrider.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-05-27_encinitas_cap_recommendation_letter.pdf