SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: February 10, 2025
Subject: RECEIVE Presentation on 2024 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
Submitted For: SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
Department: DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Presenter: Jody London || DCD | Sustainability Coordinator
Contact: Jody London (925) 655-2815
Referral History:
On November 5, 2024, the Board of Supervisors adopted the 2024 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). An update of the 2015 Climate Action Plan (CAP), the 2024 CAAP is Contra Costa County’s plan to achieve its vision for a sustainable future, adapt to changing climate conditions, and rapidly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to support a pathway to statewide net-zero emissions by 2045. The 2024 CAAP is intended to serve as a companion to the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan (2045 General Plan) and to mitigate GHG emissions in the unincorporated county that result from implementation of the General Plan. The 2024 CAAP features a planning horizon out to 2045 and provides updated information and an expanded set of GHG emissions reduction and climate adaptation strategies that apply to the unincorporated county.
This 2024 CAAP builds on the work that was established in the 2015 CAP and reflects the latest developments in county- and regional-level climate action planning initiatives, GHG emissions reductions in County operations, and climate action planning policies and practices at the State level. The 2024 CAAP allows the County’s decision makers, staff, and communities to understand the sources and magnitude of local GHG emissions and the impacts of climate change on communities in the unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County (“unincorporated communities”), prioritize steps to achieve long-term GHG emissions reduction goals, and increase resilience to climate change-related hazards consistent with the County’s goals for land use, transportation, housing, and environmental justice.
The Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development led preparation of the 2024 CAAP at the direction of the Board of Supervisors. Preparation of the 2024 CAAP occurred from 2018 to 2024 as part of Envision Contra Costa and in collaboration with a consultant team, the Board Sustainability Committee, the County’s Sustainability Commission, County departments, and community members.
The County remains committed to achieving the ambitious GHG emission reductions adopted by the State of California in response to the increasing impacts and threat of climate change. The 2024 CAAP provides strategies and actions that support the State’s GHG emissions reduction goals through 2045, as established by State laws and regulations, including:
• Reduce community-wide GHG emissions by 40 percent from the 1990 levels by 2030.
• Reduce community-wide GHG emissions by at least 85 percent from the 1990 levels by 2045 and be on a pathway to support statewide carbon neutrality by 2045.
The 2024 CAAP includes goals, actions, and strategies for County operations and facilities. Some jurisdictions prepare a separate “municipal CAAP” document. Contra Costa County is including County operations in the CAAP to ensure the County is modeling its commitment to climate action and equity.
The 29 comprehensive strategies in the 2024 CAAP reflect input and feedback from communities and County staff and incorporate regional regulations and State laws that are expected to be enacted in the future. All strategies are listed in the table below. Out of the 29 climate action strategies, 11 directly result in GHG emission reductions. The remaining 18 strategies are focused on climate hazard resilience, leadership, equity, and other sustainability goals. The 29 climate action strategies are organized into eight categories, outlined in the attached table.
Referral Update:
County staff are working to implement the CAAP. The attached presentation outlines goals and activities in the CAAP, both those that are community-facing and those that are specific to County operations. Staff is working on all of these goals.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
RECEIVE Presentation on 2024 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
The2024 CAAP specifies many actions that will require significant resources for full implementation, including one-time capital costs as well as operations and maintenance costs; however, the financial implications for the County are limited by the fact that a number of the specified actions are already being undertaken or required by other agencies (and thus do not represent new costs imposed by the CAAP), can be self-funded, or will likely be undertaken only when new external funding can be secured, such as from various State or federal grant programs that align with CAAP activities and support State and federal policy objectives. The most tangible new cost implications for the County include the in-kind staff time required to implement and monitor the CAAP strategies and actions. County staff estimate that two additional full-time employees (FTEs), one in DCD and one in the Public Works Department, would be required to fully implement the CAAP and the total additional annual cost of staff salaries and benefits for these new FTEs would be approximately $500,000. This assumes that the County will continue funding the existing four FTE positions that currently support CAAP implementation and will continue to make annual allocations to the Sustainability Fund at or above current levels.