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South Pasadena City Council members will receive a detailed report on the city’s Climate Action Plan (CAP), a long-range effort that outlines specific strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, during Wednesday’s City Council meeting at City Hall.
The plan will be discussed as part of an agenda item as part of the 7:30 p.m. meeting.
The Climate Action Plan outlines the ways in which the City of South Pasadena can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions levels and will serve as a roadmap to reduce the city’s carbon footprint.
California legislation mandates that California reduce GHG emissions to 1990 emissions levels by 2020 (a target established by Assembly Bill 32), to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 (a target established by Senate Bill 32), and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 (a target established by Executive Order B-55-18).
Through its concerted efforts the City of South Pasadena achieved the 2020 goal in 2016. The development and implementation of the CAP will ensure that South Pasadena also reaches the 2030 and 2045 targets.
In addition, the CAP will also help achieve multiple community goals such as lowering energy costs, reducing air pollution, supporting local economic development, and improving public health and quality of life.
The CAP is funded by a grant received from Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and is being developed by Rincon Consultants who also created the CAPs for the City of Pasadena and the City of La Cañada.
The anticipated completion date of the CAP is fall 2020.
In the meantime, the recently adopted South Pasadena Green Action Plan (Green Plan), which outlines specific actions towards sustainability, will fill in the gap and allow City staff to build the foundation for achieving the greater sustainability goals in the CAP. The CAP will supersede the Green Plan after adoption by City Council. The CAP will also be cohesive with the City’s General Plan and will involve feedback from all City departments.
The first phase of the development of the CAP – establishing a baseline GHG emissions inventory for South Pasadena – has been completed. A GHG emissions inventory identifies the major sources and quantities of GHG emissions produced by City government operations and community-wide activities for a given year.
City officials say this baseline will enable the City to understand its current emissions, track emissions trends, identify the greatest sources of GHG emissions, and set targets for future reductions. The sources of emissions used to develop the inventory include energy (electricity and natural gas), transportation, solid waste, and water consumption.
The next phase of the CAP develops GHG reduction strategies. South Pasadena looks to ensure this process is collaborative and inclusive by conducting several community meetings throughout this process where residents can stay informed and involved in the development of the GHG reduction strategies.
In November, City of South Pasadena hosted a public engagement meeting in the library community room to kick off the plan (CAP), in which residents were brought up to date on where the city is positioned in regards to its greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to the state guidelines. About 20 participants addressed the city’s strategies to reduce emissions at the meeting.
City officials gathered information and recorded comments from those on hand as part of the process.
Residents can learn more about the CAP and submit questions and comments via the CAP website: southpasadenacap.rinconconsultants.com.
In other City Council Action Wednesday night:
- An ACE Hardware representative will deliver a Merchant Minute, providing information about its opening in South Pasadena last year.
- South Pasadena Fire and Police Associations will make a presentation to the City of Hope through the Pink Patch Project. To show support for breast cancer awareness, during the month of October SPPD officers replaced their uniform shoulder patches with a specially designed pink patch and local fire department officials wore pink t-shirts.
SPPD sold commemorative pink patches for $10 each and the fire department was actively selling t-shirts. All proceeds will fund breast cancer research, treatment and education.
- City commission appointments will be approved by the City Council.
- Introduce for first reading an ordinance to amend portions of the 2019 California Fire Code as it relates to South Pasadena
