UPDATE: The Board of Supervisors accepted the plans December 8.
San Rafael, CA – Marin County continues efforts to reverse the impacts of climate change by implementing local solutions. New plans explaining 2030 and 2045 climate goals and actions needed to meet those goals are going to the Marin County Board of Supervisors at 9 a.m. Tuesday, December 8.
Among the endorsed localized solutions to climate change is a 45% increase in zero-emission vehicles. The County of Marin has gradually 'greened' its fleet of vehicles over the years.The Community Development Agency’s Sustainability Team is presenting the 2020 Unincorporated Marin County Climate Action Plan and the Drawdown: Marin Strategic Plan, both designed to create a thriving, equitable, and resilient future for all in Marin. Staff seeks approval of the Climate Action Plan and receipt and review of the Strategic Plan. With approval and support of the Supervisors, planners will get continue work on reaching GHG emissions reduction goals and continue promote steps each individual, family, business, or organization can take to help achieve the goals.
The 2020 Climate Action Plan incorporates Drawdown: Marin goals by reducing GHG emissions from unincorporated Marin to 60% below 2005 levels over the next decade and reduce emissions below zero by 2045. To achieve the same goals countywide (all jurisdictions), Drawdown: Marin will form a new nonprofit to implement solutions, engage the community, and raise funding to support projects and community partners.
“Both those goals are more aggressive than goals set by the State of California because we have to accelerate our work and solve climate change as soon as possible,” said CDA Principal Sustainability Planner Dana Armanino. “We believe we can get there by incorporating new strategies, technologies, and best practices, and by working closely with our towns and cities to approach this as a supportive team. In fact, many of our strategies are already underway. However, achieving our goals will not be possible without significant, diversified funding, strong community partnerships, and ongoing support from the state.”
The new Climate Action Plan is an update to the 2015 Climate Action Plan that set the target of reducing GHGs to 30% below 1990 levels by 2020. Since then, the state recommended new 2030 emissions targets and the Drawdown: Marin initiative was created to set bolder goals and engage the community in developing local solutions. The County’s 2020 Plan includes extensive feedback gathered via the Drawdown: Marin process, community workshops, an online survey, and emails.
Drawdown: Marin gathered feedback by working with stakeholder collaboratives focused on renewable energy, buildings & infrastructure, transportation, carbon sequestration, local food & food waste, and climate-resilient communities. The collaboratives developed 29 solutions, and seven were endorsed for immediate implementation including a 45% increase in zero-emission vehicles, working with farmers and ranchers on carbon-reduction and sequestration practices, and increasing community resilience.
The Board of Supervisors is committed to addressing climate change now through a variety of County-led programs and by supporting our community partners. The Supervisors adopted a resolution in 2002 recognizing both the gravity of climate change and the need for local action, and Marin was one of the first California counties to take formal action addressing GHG emissions when it adopted its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan in 2006. It has continued these efforts through BayWAVE and C-SMART, processes and plans that identify climate change vulnerabilities and local strategies to adapt.
Learn more about Drawdown: Marin, the CDA Sustainability Team, and the draft 2020 Climate Action Plan. To participate in the online December 8 Board discussion, see the directions on the Board’s meeting archive webpage. Comcast TV subscribers may view the meeting at 9 a.m. on Channel 27.