As a part of the Climate Action Plan Update (CAP Update), the County held a series of virtual public workshops throughout the summer to present project updates and solicit feedback.

In August, the County facilitated a virtual workshop that presented a vision statement and conceptual strategies and measures for the Built Environment and Transportation emissions reduction sector.

The meeting was organized to accomplish the following:

• Create a comfortable, engaging environment where all participants have an opportunity to provide meaningful input and share concerns.
• Obtain input to help develop the CAP Update greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction measures and the vision statement for each sector.
• Explore opportunities and challenges related to GHG reduction measures that may be considered for the CAP Update.
• Provide an overview of the CAP Update in a clear and easy to understand manner, including the purpose, process, outcomes, timeline, and future opportunities to provide input.  

At the virtual meeting, community members participated in a staff-led presentation and polling questions. The workshop covered three topics specific to the Built Environment and Transportation sector: 1) Emission sources evaluated; 2) Draft equitable, net-zero vision statement; and 3) Strategies and measures to reach the draft vision. Throughout the workshop, community members were invited to share their perspectives through the chat, polls, and open discussion. The workshop and prompts were designed so that staff could learn more about community members’ perspectives about climate change and potential actions to reduce GHGs. An interpreter was in attendance for community members whose primary language is Spanish, and meeting materials were offered in Spanish. In advance of the meeting, staff promoted the event through e-blasts, social media posts, and direct emails to relevant and interested stakeholders.

You can find a quick summary of what we learned during the workshop below where we have listed major themes from the input we received in no particular order of importance or frequency.

You can also find recordings and additional information from all of our previous CAP Update workshops here.

Built Environment and Transportation Emissions Reduction Measures Workshop – August 24

During the event, 28 participants joined representing unincorporated residents, community-based organizations, concerned residents from incorporated cities, and built environment/transportation professionals. Participants provided input that included:

• Emphasis on public transportation and opportunities to improve transit systems and increase ridership. 

• Equity considerations related to increasing access to electric vehicles for all communities, including low-income individuals and renters. 
• Electric vehicles play an important role in decarbonizing the Built Environment and Transportation sector; but we should do more than replace fossil fuel-powered cars with electric cars.

What's next?

This was the final workshop in a series to discuss conceptual strategies and measures to reduce emissions in the County’s five greenhouse gas emission sectors: the built environment and transportation, agriculture and conservation, energy, water and wastewater, and solid waste. If you missed a workshop, find recordings and meeting summaries on our website here.

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