New Sacramento climate plan could change how you commute, what appliances are in your home
In 10 years, a quarter of existing Sacramento and West Sacramento homes will be all-electric, a quarter of all food will be locally sourced and 70 percent of all newly registered vehicles will be zero emission.
That’s if the goals in a new draft climate plan created by mayors Darrell Steinberg and Christopher Cabaldon’s climate commission come to fruition.
Steinberg and Cabaldon launched the Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change in November 2018 to craft recommendations to achieve carbon zero in both cities by 2045. “Carbon zero,” also known as “carbon neutrality,” means that net greenhouse gas emissions equal zero.
Wednesday, a draft version of the report was released to the public.
Here are some highlights:
▪ Mandate all-electric construction to eliminate fossil-fuel use in new buildings by 2023. “Appliances using natural gas – furnaces, stoves, water heaters and clothes dryers – will need to be replaced with all-electric products,” the report reads. The cities can provide incentives to home and business owners to retrofit the buildings, the report said.
▪ Transition 25 percent of existing residential and small commercial buildings to all electric by 2030.
▪ 30 percent of all residents’ trips are to be by active transportation by 2030, with 40 percent by 2040. Active transportation includes taking bicycles and scooters. Currently, roughly 10 percent of trips within the two cities are taken by active transportation, the report said.
▪ 30 percent of all trips are to be by transit and carpools by 2030, with 50 percent by 2045. That will be a tough one to meet. Currently, only about 4 percent of trips in the two cities are being taken on transit, the report said.
▪ 70 percent of new vehicle registrations will be for zero-emission vehicles by 2030. All public, private and shared fleets to be fully electrified by 2045.
▪ Ensure that all neighborhoods, starting with historically marginalized communities and tree-deficient neighborhoods, have access to green space within a quarter-mile by 2030, as well as a baseline canopy of 25 percent by 2030, and 35 percent by 2045. The city’s higher-income neighborhoods have significantly more trees and shade than areas where lower-income residents live.
▪ Increase food security and access to healthy, affordable food for all communities by sourcing 25 percent of food locally within a 200-mile radius by 2030, and 40 percent by 2045. Also reduce 50 percent of aggregate food waste by 2025, and 75 percent by 2030. In California, food waste is the single-most prevalent item in landfills, but about 14 percent of Sacramento County residents and about 16 percent of Yolo County residents experienced food insecurity in 2017, the report said.
▪ Establish a “food recovery to food security” network with restaurants, catering companies, grocery stores, food banks and community food hubs to reduce food waste and address food insecurity.
▪ Expand free or affordable zero-emission vehicle carshare programs, such as the GIG cars that arrived last year.
▪ Establish “car-free districts” on weekend nights in areas that offer local commerce, recreation, arts and culture.
▪ Adopt policies that support telecommuting. “The cities should reassess their telecommuting policies to allow more staff to work remotely and partner with the chambers of commerce to encourage employers to continue telecommuting programs,” the report said.
Steinberg and Cabaldon both stressed that point during a virtual press conference Wednesday. Both said they hoped the coronavirus pandemic, which forced many employers to let employees work from home, will result in more employees being able to work remotely even after the crisis passes, to reduce emissions caused from driving into work.
“I think we don’t have to be at a particular office every day,” Steinberg said. “I think some days it might be a relief to be away from City Hall.”
Cabaldon agreed.
“If I’m going to be on the phone or on the computer all day, do I have to go into the office?” Cabaldon said. “There has to be the option at work places to telework or telecommute that isn’t looked down upon.”
For state employees, who make up a large percentage of the region’s workforce, that might be a challenge. Long-standing cultural factors and technical challenges have prevented work-from-home efforts for decades.
The coronavirus crisis did not cause the climate commission effort to be delayed, but to become even more urgent, especially for disadvantaged communities, Steinberg said.
“This is a challenge and it is an audacious plan but if COVID-19 hasn’t intensified our commitment to addressing public health, I don’t know what else could,” Steinberg said.
The Sacramento region has the fifth-worst ozone or smog pollution in the country, according to a report released this week from the American Lung Association.
The region has previously committed to a 19 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, Steinberg said.
Members of the public can read the report and submit feedback through the commission website, https://www.lgc.org/climatecommission. The commission plans to meet virtually May 13 to discuss next steps.
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 1:50 PM.
