Climate Action Plan
San Diego’s landmark 2022 Climate Action Plan (English / Spanish) which takes bold steps toward a more sustainable place to live, work and play -- has been unanimously approved by the City Council and signed into law by Mayor Todd Gloria.
The 2022 CAP establishes a community-wide goal of net zero by 2035, committing San Diego to an accelerated trajectory for greenhouse gas reductions. Achieving net-zero emissions will improve the air we breathe, the communities we live in, and our overall quality of life.
More than 4,000 San Diegans shared their needs, concerns and priorities in the development of this plan. San Diego is leading the way and the City has already begun work, including transitioning all City facilities to San Diego Community Power’s 100% renewable energy service, funding early implementation steps, and partnering with labor organizations to complete a workforce impacts study.
On February 28th, we released the draft Implementation Plan as an accompaniment to the Climate Action Plan. The Climate Action Implementation Plan organizes the City's processes and government structure around the net-zero goal - centering equity, accountability, and transparency. Please email us at sustainability@sandiego.gov with any questions, comments, or feedback on the draft plan.
Track the City's progress on Climate Action implementation by exploring our Climate Dashboard.
Discover concrete ways you can get involved in climate action below.
Strategy 1: Decarbonization of the Built Environment
This strategy aims to dramatically avoid greenhouse gas emissions from buildings across the City and to improve our indoor air quality. It includes measures to address emissions from existing buildings and municipal facilities and for new development.
Strategy 2: Access to Clean & Renewable Energy
This strategy maintains the City’s commitment to 100% renewable energy and now acknowledges that the pathway to achieve this target is through San Diego Community Power. It also sets more ambitious targets for converting the City’s fleet of vehicles to electric and for the first time aims to increase the number of electric vehicles used by our communities.
Strategy 3: Mobility & Land Use
This strategy focuses on emissions from transportation, which account for more than half of all greenhouse gas emissions in San Diego. It also includes actions that support mode shift through mobility and land-use actions and policies.
- Take transit or participate in transit Tuesday
- Interested in an electric vehicle? Explore different EV options
- Walk or bike to nearby locations instead of taking your car to reduce emissions and save gas money!
- Learn how to safely ride a scooter
- Ask your employer about telework opportunities.
Strategy 4: Circular Economy & Clean Communities
This strategy maintains a 90% waste diversion rate, as well as methane capture from our landfill and wastewater treatment facilities. It also includes actions to increase healthy food access and food recovery.
Strategy 5: Resilient Infrastructure and Healthy Ecosystems
This strategy will help the City thrive in the face of the impacts of climate change through a greater focus on the greening of our City, starting with our Communities of Concern. It also includes targets for the restoration of salt marshland for sequestration and increasing our local water supply through Pure Water San Diego.
Strategy 6: Emerging Climate Actions
This strategy addresses those greenhouse gas emissions that will remain after all currently identified measures have been achieved. These emissions will need to be addressed to achieve our net-zero goal. The City will continue to identify additional actions, pursue technological innovation, expand partnerships, and support research that reduces GHG emissions in all sectors.
Implement
Implementation of the CAP is a large, interdepartmental effort that requires significant collaboration. To ensure that the City meets its goal, the Sustainability and Mobility Department has been working with other departments to put together an Implementation Matrix (linked below). The Implementation Matrix has been expanded into an Implementation Plan that will be brought forward for consideration in early 2023.
On February 28th, we released the draft Implementation Plan as an accompaniment to the Climate Action Plan. The Climate Action Implementation Plan organizes the City's processes and government structure around the net-zero goal - centering equity, accountability, and transparency. An Implementation Cost Analysis (ICA) report was prepared in tandem which estimates the known costs and staffing needs for CAP implementation over the first five fiscal years. Please email us at sustainability@sandiego.gov with any questions, comments, or feedback on the draft plan.
Learn More
Our Climate, Our Future Activity Book
In partnership with the San Diego Public Library, we created an activity book for youth to get inspired about the future of San Diego. Share your creations with us at sustainability@sandiego.gov.
Email us at sustainability@sandiego.gov to have our team present to your community group. The Sustainability and Mobility Department is offering presentations to community groups who would like to learn about Our Climate, Our Future and provide feedback.
Past Forums
In 2020, we hosted ten forums including one in each council district. Watch the video of our first public forum. In Feb. 2021, we hosted a virtual forum focused on the business community. Watch that recording here.
How Did We Get Here?
This helpful video sums up the main strategies of the Climate Action Plan. Meet five San Diego residents who are helping the City achieve its goals: youtu.be/DrJGpTSXOdg.
Additional Information
The 2022 Climate Action Plan update builds upon the 2015 Climate Action Plan, setting forth aggressive goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate Action Plan Annual Reports
- 2023 Climate Action Plan Annual Report
- 2023 Climate Action Plan Appendices
- 2015 Climate Action Plan Final Report
- 2020 Climate Action Plan Annual Report
- 2019 Climate Action Plan Annual Report
- 2019 Climate Action Plan Annual Report Appendix
- 2019 Climate Action Plan Annual Report Highlight Card
- 2019 Climate Equity Index Report
- 2018 Climate Action Plan Annual Report
- 2018 Climate Action Plan Annual Report Appendix
- 2018 Climate Action Plan Annual Report Half Card
- 2017 Climate Action Plan Annual Report
- Appendix for 2017 Annual Report
- Mayor's Press Conference on 2017 Annual Report of the City's Climate Action Plan (Oct. 25 2016)
- 2016 Annual Report - Climate Action Plan
- Appendix to the 2016 Annual Report
- Sustainability Progress Report (2016)
- Mayor's Press Conference on 2016 Annual Report of the City's Climate Action Plan (Nov. 16, 2016)
2015 Climate Action Plan and Related Documents
- Climate Action Plan - adopted December 2015
- Climate Action Plan -- All Appendices, Final March 2017
- City of San Diego Climate Action Plan Final Environmental Impact Report
- Transit Priority Area Map
- Transit Priority Area Map (Interactive Version)
- Climate Action Plan Check List
- Climate Action Plan Consistency Checklist Technical Support Documentation
Climate Action Plan Budget Analysis
- FY 2023 Climate Action Plan Budget Analysis
- FY 2022 Climate Action Plan Budget Analysis
- FY 2021 Climate Action Plan Budget Analysis -- New Funds
- FY 2020 Climate Action Plan Budget Analysis -- New Funds
- FY 2019 Climate Action Plan Budget Analysis -- New Funds
- FY 2018 Climate Action Plan -- New Funds
- Fiscal year 2017 Climate Action Plan Funding & Implementation Report
- Appendix B (link is external) of the fiscal year 2017 Climate Action Plan Funding & Implementation Report – open source version that provides the background documentation used to generate budget data for the fiscal year 2017 CAP Funding & Implementation Report.
FY24 CAP Department Work Plans
- Department of General Services
- Department of Information Technology
- Department of Real Estate and Airport Management
- Economic Development Department
- Environmental Services Department
- Parks and Recreation Department
- Police Department
- Public Utilities Department
- Stormwater Department
- Sustainability and Mobility Department
- Transportation Department (Forestry)
- Transportation Department (Streets)