About CAP Program
About
The Community Air Protection Program (CAP Program) was created by the passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 617 (C. Garcia, Chapter 136, Statutes of 2017)Assembly Bill (AB) 617 (C. Garcia, Chapter 136, Statutes of 2017). It is one of the most essential tools CARB and air districts must reduce air pollution emissions and exposures in neighborhoods most impacted by air pollution. AB 617 requires CARB and local air districts to work together with community members, community-based organizations, environmental justice organizations, state and local governments, regulated industries, and other key stakeholders to develop and implement Community Emission Reduction Programs (CERPs) for each community in the CAP Program.
The CAP Program has catalyzed new partnerships and deepened existing ones with overburdened communities and air districts through its community focused and equity-centered approach. The program is resulting in both substantial reductions in air pollution emissions and exposures in the communities that are closest to completing the majority of their CERP actions and other transformative changes in how air districts and CARB engage with communities.
Mission and Vision
The mission of the Community Air Protection Program is defined by the AB 617 statute—it is to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants in communities with the highest cumulative exposure by developing and implementing a statewide strategy, in consultation with program partners and stakeholders. The strategy, known as the Blueprint,was last updated in October of 2023.
CARB works to achieve this mission in the context of CARB’s Vision for Racial Equity, adopted in 2023, that guides all our external work. “CARB commits to just social change by working at all levels within the organization and externally to address environmental injustices and advance racial equity in the achievement of its mission. CARB works toward a future where all Californians breathe healthy and clean air, benefit from actions to address climate change, and where race is no longer a predictor of life outcomes.”
