Climate Action Planning

What is a Climate Action Plan?

A Climate Action Plan (CAP) is a description of actions—policies, programs, and cost-effective projects—a city can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A CAP may include measures or actions a city has already completed as well as proposed measures a city plans to implement in the future to reduce its carbon footprint.  By taking a proactive approach to climate action planning, cities can lower their greenhouse gas emissions, reduce their energy costs, protect air quality and public health, and improve the economy and environment.

Climate Action Planning in the South Bay

The SBCCOG has been working with its member cities on climate action planning in the South Bay since 2008. When embarking on this project, the SBCCOG recognized that while many of its member cities wanted to initiate climate action planning, they did not have the resources, budget, or staff to devote to such activities.  With this in mind, the SBCCOG suggested a sub-regional approach to the management and coordination of inventorying local government and communitywide emissions and climate action planning.  As a result, the SBCCOG is able to work with member cities in a collaborative fashion to maximize resources, save city and data providers time, and maintain a consistent approach to the method, process, and resulting product.
The South Bay cities began the process of assessing their greenhouse gas emissions by joining ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability, an international association of city and county governments committed to sustainable development. Through ICLEI, the South Bay cities gained access to tools and resources, such as the Clean Air Climate Protection (CACP) software, which enables cities to quantify their emissions.
The South Bay cities have committed to ICLEI’s Five Milestone Climate Protection Methodology, which includes:
1.    Conducting a baseline emissions inventory and forecast
2.    Adopting an emissions reduction target for the forecast year
3.    Developing a local Climate Action Plan
4.    Implementing the local Climate Action Plan
5.    Monitoring and verifying results

Source: ICLEI’s Five Milestones for Climate Mitigation

California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC)

The CPSC is a coalition of local governments and their associations related to solid waste, recycling, resource conservation, environmental protection, water quality, and other cross-media issues (Associates). Learn more here.

State and Regional Climate Goals and Initiatives

As of December 2024.

Overview

Public Agency CAP Facilitation

Resources

Implementation

Legislation, Regulation, or Program Topic Areas Description
AB 1757 (2022)  Biodiversity, Climate Action and Adaptation 
  • Requires the CNRA, in collaboration with CARB, other state agencies, and an expert advisory committee, to determine by January 1, 2024, a range of targets for natural carbon sequestration, and for nature-based climate solutions, that reduce GHG emissions in 2030, 2038, and 2045. These targets must support state goals to achieve carbon neutrality and foster climate adaptation and resilience.  
  • 2024 – CNRA publishes California Nature-Based Solutions Climate Targets. Targets are established for seven defined land types – forests, shrublands and chaparral, grasslands, croplands, developed lands, wetlands and seagrasses, and sparsely vegetated areas. 
EO N-82-20  Biodiversity, Climate Action and Adaptation 
  • Sets a statewide goal to conserve at least 30% of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030. This order instructed the CNRA, in consultation with other state agencies, to develop a Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy that serves as a framework to advance the state’s carbon neutrality goal and build climate resilience. 
SB 272 (2023)  Climate Action and Adaptation (sea-level rise) 
  • Requires local governments to develop a sea level rise plan as part of a local coastal program by January 1, 2034. 
  • The California Coastal Commission must establish guidelines for the preparation of sea level rise plans by December 31, 2024.  
AB 1279 (2022)  Climate Action and Adaptation (GHG emissions) 
  • Carbon neutrality by 2045 (i.e. amount of GHG emissions emitted equals amount of GHG emissions being sequestered) 
  • 85% reduction in GHG emissions by 2045 compared to 1990 base levels 
SIP Strategy (2022)  Climate Action and Adaptation (emissions), Transportation 
  • The 2022 State Strategy for the State Implementation Plan (SIP Strategy) is a statewide planning document approved by CARB that identifies the strategies and controls under State authority that are needed to reduce emissions to reduce ground-level ozone (i.e. smog).  
  • See Table 3 of the SIP Strategy for a full list of proposed measures and schedule, as well as Chapter 5 for descriptions of each measure 
  • Most measures focus on transportation, but there are three other measures regarding consumer product standards, space and water heaters, and pesticides. 
AB 398 (2017)  Climate Action and Adaptation (GHG emissions) 
  • Extends the state’s Cap-and-Trade Program until 2030. The Cap-and-Trade Program sets total allowable emissions for facilities and creates carbon offset credits through carbon sequestration projects. 
SB 32 (2017)  Climate Action and Adaptation (GHG emissions) 
  • GHG emissions reduction target of 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. 
  • CARB’s 2017 update to the Scoping Plan lays out the state’s strategy for achieving this goal. 
AB 32 (2006)  Climate Action and Adaptation (GHG emissions) 
  • GHG emissions reduction target of 15% below 1990 levels by 2030. 
  • CARB releases the Scoping Plan (2008), describing the long-term road map for achieving the AB 32 target. 
2025 Building Energy Efficiency Standards  Energy (energy efficiency) 
  • Sets energy efficiency standards as requirements in the Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6) and voluntary energy efficiency provisions in CALGreen (Title 24, Part 11). These standards apply to newly constructed buildings, as well as additions and alterations to existing buildings. 
  • CEC adopted Energy Code and CALGreen in September 2024. Goes into effect January 1, 2026. 
  • The Building Energy Efficiency Standards are updated by the CEC every 3 years.  
SCAQMD Rule for Zero-Emission Water Heaters (2024)  Energy (water heaters) 
  • Updates Rule 1146.2, requiring new and existing residential and commercial buildings to transition to zero-emission (ZE) NOx water heaters 
  • The first compliance deadline for ZE units under Rule 1146.2 begins on January 1, 2026, with a phased implementation plan concluding by January 1, 2033. 
SB 1020 (2022)  Energy (decarbonization, renewable energy) 
  • Expands on SB 100. Adds interim renewable energy and zero-carbon energy retail sales of electricity targets to California end-use customers set at 90% in 2035 and 95% in 2040. State agencies must procure 100% renewable energy and zero-carbon energy by 2035. 
CARB zero-emissions standards for space and water heaters  Energy (HVAC, water heaters) 
  • Proposed in 2022 SIP Strategy. CARB is currently developing standards that would go into effect in 2030. 100% of sales of new space heaters and water heaters would need to comply with the emission standard.  
SB 1206 (2022)  Energy (refrigerants) 
  • Mandates a stepped sales prohibition on newly produced high-GWP HFCs to transition California’s economy toward recycled and reclaimed HFCs for servicing existing HFC-based equipment. This law also requires CARB to develop regulations to increase the adoption of very low and no-GWP technologies in sectors that currently rely on higher-GWP HFCs. 
CARB HFC Regulation (2018) and update (2020) 

 

 Energy (refrigerants) 
  • Prohibits specific HFCs 
  • Adds GWP limits for new chillers and AC equipment 
  • GWP limits go into effect January 1, 2025 
  • Mandates for retail food companies 
  • Establishes R4 program 
SB 100 (2018)  Energy (decarbonization, renewable energy) 
  • Establishes a goal of supplying 100% of the state’s electricity from clean sources by 2045. 
SB 350 (2015)  Energy (energy efficiency, decarbonization, renewable energy) 
  • Mandates a 50% Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) by 2030. SB 350 includes interim annual RPS targets with three year compliance periods and requires that 65% of RPS procurement be derived from long-term contracts of 10 or more years. 
  • Requires the state to double statewide energy efficiency savings in electricity and natural gas end uses by 2030 
CARB Advanced Clean Cars II Program (2022)  Transportation 
  • Requires by 2035 all new passenger cars, trucks and SUVs sold in California will be zero emissions 
  • Amends the Zero-Emission Vehicle Regulation to require an increasing number of ZEVs, and relies on advanced vehicle technologies, including battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell electric, and plug-in hybrid EVs, to meet air quality and climate change emissions standards. 
  • Amends the Low Emission Vehicle Regulations to include increasingly stringent standards for gasoline cars and heavier passenger trucks to continue to reduce smog-forming emissions while the sector transitions toward 100% electrification by 2035. 
Executive Order N-79-20 (2020)  Transportation 
  • Established a target that 100 percent of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks be zero-emission by 2035 and that 100 percent of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in the state be zero-emission by 2045 and by 2035 for drayage trucks. 
SB 1383 (2016)  Waste (organic waste, food recovery), Climate Action and Adaptation (GHG emissions) 
  • Established emissions reduction targets in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, including methane by 40%, HFC gases by 40%, and anthropogenic black carbon by 50% below 2013 levels by 2030. 
  • Reduce organic waste disposal 75% by 2025. 
  • Rescue for people to eat at least 20% of currently disposed surplus food by 2025. 
SB 606 and AB 1668 (2018)  Water 
  • Required urban and agricultural water suppliers to enact new urban efficiency standards for indoor use, outdoor use, and water lost to leaks. 
  • Requires water suppliers annually calculate their water use target, which will decrease over time. The target consists of efficiency budgets for different water uses (residential indoor water use, residential outdoor water use, real water loss and commercial, industrial and institutional landscapes with dedicated irrigation meters) 
  • Enforcement begins in 2027. Ramping down of outdoor water use begins in 2035