San Rafael, CA – Nearly 10 years after it became one of the first counties in California to take formal action to address greenhouse gas emissions, the County of Marin has adopted a Climate Action Plan update to provide new and more aggressive goals on emission reductions. The Board of Supervisors approved the plan update at its November 10 meeting, culminating several years of research and public input.
To achieve its emission reduction goals, the County plans to:
- encourage the use of energy from renewable sources;
- identify and act on power-saving efficiencies;
- support alternative transportation programs;
- promote waste reduction, reuse and recycling programs, and;
- push for water conservation.
By 2020, the County has a target of reducing community greenhouse gas emissions to 30 percent below 1990 levels and reducing municipal emissions to 15 percent below 1990 levels. In addition to reducing emissions released to the atmosphere, the County also plans to support agricultural practices that have the potential to pull large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and sequester it in soils.
Board of Supervisors President Katie Rice said it was inspiring to see nearly 800 people in attendance at the Time to Lead on Climate summit on November 9 in San Rafael “and see how many people are taking this issue seriously. All the data, evidence and political will that’s happening across the globe shows that local efforts and leadership efforts in California do make a difference and that the tide is turning.”
In its original Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, drafted in 2006, the County set an emissions reduction target of 15 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. The goal was reached by 2012, eight years ahead of schedule. The County’s Community Development Agency (CDA) staff, which has spearheaded and authored the update, said Marin is attempting to “get ahead of the curve” and be on track to meet statewide targets for 2050.
Funding, in part, for the updated Climate Action Plan was provided by the Marin Energy Watch Partnership between the County and Pacific Gas and Electric Company as part of a collaboration toward achieving long-term energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
To learn more about the County’s climate planning efforts and RSVP for the events, visit www.marinsustainability.org/climate.