REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Climate Action Plan, General Plan Amendment to Adopt the Updated Climate Action Plan 2022 and an Addendum to the General Plan Environmental Impact Report
Report
BACKGROUND
Following over two years of community engagement, the City has developed a Draft Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2022 to update the current CAP adopted in 2013. Adoption of the CAP Update would extend the City's Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals through 2030; address all new State requirements established since the 2013 CAP was adopted; and offer a Qualified CAP that would provide California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) streamlining benefits.
The City of Santa Clara adopted its CAP as Appendix 8.13 to the General Plan on December 3, 2013, as required by the City's 2010-2035 General Plan. The City started the process of comprehensively updating the CAP in January 2020. The CAP Update process included analyzing the City's GHG emission trends and developing alternatives for the overall GHG emissions reduction target that would align with or exceed the State goal and establish it as a qualified CAP.
The Draft CAP lists the strategies and actions that will collectively help Santa Clara meet State GHG emissions reduction requirements in the near-term (40% reduction by 2030 - SB32 requirement) and set the City on a pathway to achieve carbon neutrality in the long-term (by 2045 - Executive Order B-55-18). In addition to these targets, the City aspires to reduce emissions more aggressively in the interim and achieve an 80% reduction in emissions by 2035 (City Council directive).
More details on the strategies and actions, and the planning process are discussed in the report to Planning Commission, which is available as Attachment 2 with this report.
DISCUSSION
Updating the Climate Action Plan will require the City to adopt a General Plan Amendment to Appendix 8.13 (the Climate Action Plan). On April 13, 2022, the Planning Commission conduct...
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