2018 CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

On September 30, 2020, the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors voted to set aside its approval of the County’s 2018 Climate Action Plan (2018 CAP) and related actions because the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (2018 CAP SEIR) was found to be out of compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In response to this Board action, staff are preparing a Climate Action Plan Update (CAP Update) to revise the 2018 CAP and correct the items identified by the Court within the Final 2018 CAP SEIR that were not compliant. The 2018 CAP and EIR are being revised in partnership with residents, and business and environmental groups. The County continues implementing sustainability measures to effectively reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) as part of its ongoing commitment to the environment. The court ruling struck down part of the 2018 CAP’s EIR but did not find fault with its 26 GHG reduction measures. Learn more about the CAP Update.

On February 14, 2018, the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors adopted the County's 2018 Climate Action Plan. The 2018 CAP is a plan that identifies strategies and measures to reduce the County's contribution of GHG emissions to the atmosphere to meet the State's 2020 and 2030 GHG emissions targets, and to demonstrate progress towards the 2050 GHG reduction goal. The 2018 CAP was prepared in coordination with top climate planning and environmental experts that included Ascent Environmental and the Energy Policy Initiatives Center, a non-profit research center of the University of San Diego School of Law. These industry experts have worked on dozens of CAPs in California and regularly coordinate with jurisdictions on methods to implement state GHG legislation.

The 2018 CAP builds upon the 2011 San Diego County General Plan, which shifted growth capacity from the eastern backcountry areas to western communities. The 2011 General Plan includes goals and policies aimed at reducing GHG emissions including growing in a compact and efficient manner, using energy more efficiently, harnessing renewable energy to power buildings, improving waste recycling, and improving access to sustainable transportation. The 2018 CAP identifies 11 strategies and 26 measures plus numerous supporting efforts to reduce GHG emissions in the largely rural, unincorporated San Diego County as well as within County government operations. The 2018 CAP's strategies and measures are designed to reduce GHG emissions and achieve multiple secondary benefits including energy and water conservation, cleaner air, community health, biological resource conservation, cost savings, and job creation. 2018 CAP strategies and measures were selected based upon a review of potential available measures, their effectiveness in reducing GHG emissions, and their applicability to the unincorporated area. Measures were ultimately selected based upon evidence of their feasibility and effectiveness to achieve the projected GHG emissions reductions. Appendix C of the 2018 CAP provides additional information related to the anticipated GHG reductions associated with each 2018 CAP measure. For measures that are identified as County initiatives, County departments are responsible for implementing, evaluating, and monitoring results regularly. For measures that are identified with new development, project submittals are required to demonstrate compliance with the 2018 CAP Consistency Review Checklist.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
The framework for the 2018 CAP is the GHG emissions inventory. The baseline year for the adopted 2018 CAP is 2014 because it is the year for which complete data was available when the 2018 CAP was being prepared. The 2018 CAP inventory estimates the GHG emissions associated with County facilities and operations that occur (no matter where the facilities are located). The types of activities that cause GHG emissions to occur and are included in the inventory are generally related to transportation (i.e. passenger cars, light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks, buses, etc.); electricity and natural gas consumption; solid waste generation; agricultural activities; water conveyance, treatment and consumption; the use of small industrial equipment (i.e. lawn and garden, construction, mining, light commercial equipment, etc.); and wastewater treatment. 

The inventory uses the GHG emissions data to create projections for emissions in 2020 and 2030. From this information GHG emissions targets were created based upon the State's GHG reduction targets. As a result, the County's GHG emissions targets are:

  • 2020: 3,147,275 MTCO2e
  • 2030: 1,926,903 MTCO2e

2018 CAP Implementation

The 2018 CAP measures that were selected are feasible, enforceable, measurable, and achievable. The measures are categorized within the following GHG emission sectors: Built Environment & Transportation, Energy, Solid Waste, Water and Wastewater, and Agriculture and Conservation. The types of measures included in the 2018 CAP are typical of best practices in climate action planning and rely on energy and water conservation, increasing the availability of renewable energy, planning for alternative and cleaner transportation options, preservation and conservation of agricultural and biologically valuable lands, and increased solid waste diversion.

The 2018 CAP also contains stringent monitoring and reporting requirements in order to communicate progress regularly and transparently. The Annual Monitoring Report provides yearly updates on 2018 CAP measure implementation progress. Biennial GHG emissions inventories will be prepared to allow for updates in technology and transportation modeling. The 2018 CAP will also be updated every five years to allow for adaptation as new programs and technology become available to accommodate legislative changes, and to allow for course correction in the event of underperforming measures.

Read the Climate Action Progress Annual Report

ALIGNING WITH COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS

The County's Climate Action Plan is aligned with and builds upon many other County efforts through complementary implementation-focused actions.

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2018 CAP PROJECT DOCUMENTS AND TECHNICAL REPORTS

Final County of San Diego 2018 Climate Action Plan

Final County of San Diego 2018 Climate Action Plan Appendices:

Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (including Appendices, Findings, and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program) - located at the link below.

Click here to access the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report.

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