Local Government Actions for Climate Change
Local governments have a role to play in helping the State achieve its climate goals. California’s Climate Change Scoping Plan encourages local governments to adopt goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15% below 1990's levels by 2020, 40% below 1990 levels in 2030, and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The 2050 target is roughly equivalent to a per capita annual emission target of less than 2 metric tons of CO2e. Read the executive summary of the 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan for more information.
Additionally, Executive Order B-55-18 calls for carbon neutrality by 2045, consistent with the latest IPCC report. This executive order introduces the concept of balancing carbon emissions and carbon sequestration within the state.
For guidance on how local governments can take action, CARB has prepared the following resources:
The Local Government Toolkit provides guidance and resources to assist local governments in reducing GHG emissions and saving money. Take the first step towards a climate action plan or find out how other jurisdictions are taking action.
The Local Government Operations Protocol for Greenhouse Gas Assessments provides guidance on how to inventory GHG emissions resulting from government buildings and facilities, government fleet vehicles, wastewater treatment and potable water treatment facilities, landfill facilities, and other operations.
Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCS) help California meet its climate and air quality goals, as well as advance community goals for public health, accessibility, equity, conservation, the economy, and much more. Review guidance, statewide plans, and the 2018 Sustainable Communities Progress Report.
The CARB 2017 Scoping Plan-Identified VMT Reductions and Relationship to State Climate Goals document includes technical information on what level of statewide VMT reduction would promote achievement of statewide GHG emissions reduction targets and the 2017 Scoping Plan goals. The document describes the relationship between those GHG emissions reductions goals and the level of per capita VMT and GHG emissions reduction anticipated in existing SCSs. The analysis in this document may serve multiple uses, including providing non-binding technical information that acts as an optional aide to local governments and lead agencies when evaluating an individual project’s transportation-related GHG impacts and whether they are consistent with statewide 2030 and 2050 GHG emissions reduction goals in response to Senate Bill (SB) 743 (Chapter 386, Stats. 2013).
California Climate Investments is a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. Find out how much as been invested in your community and how you can get more.
Local Governments Taking Action
The California Climate Action Portal Map (CAP-Map) is an open data tool developed by CARB to recognize local government climate action planning efforts across the state and to aggregate creative planning ideas for tackling climate change. Users can quickly access the climate action planning details of local jurisdictions including links to climate plans created, greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory information, GHG reduction targets, the local strategies planned to meet these targets, and more. The CAP-Map consists of both an interactive web map and a GHG reduction strategy search tool.
