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3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST <br />REGULATORY FRAMEWORK <br />STATE <br />The State of California has adopted various administrative initiatives and legislation relating to <br />climate change, much of which set aggressive goals for GHG emissions reductions in the state. <br />Although lead agencies must evaluate climate change and greenhouse gas emissions of <br />projects, the State CEQA Guidelines do not require or suggest specific methodologies for <br />performing an assessment or specific thresholds of significance and do not specify GHG reduction <br />mitigation measures. Instead, the guidelines allow lead agencies to choose methodologies and <br />make significance determinations based on substantial evidence, as discussed in further detail <br />below. In addition, no state agency has promulgated binding regulations for analyzing GHG <br />emissions, determining their significance, or mitigating significant effects in CEQA documents. <br />Thus, lead agencies exercise their discretion in determining how to analyze GHGs. <br />California Global Warming Solutions Act (Assembly Bill 32) <br />The primary laws that have driven GHG regulation and analysis in California include the California <br />Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill [AB] 32) (Health and Safety Code Sections <br />38500, 38501, 28510, 38530, 38550, 38560, 38561-38565, 38570, 38571, 38574, 38580, 38590, 38592- <br />38599), which instructs the California Air Resources Board to develop and enforce regulations for <br />reporting and verifying statewide GHG emissions. The act directed CARB to set a greenhouse gas <br />emissions limit based on 1990 levels, to be achieved by 2020. The bill set a timeline for adopting a <br />scoping plan for achieving GHG reductions in a technologically and economically feasible <br />manner. The heart of the bill is the requirement that statewide GHG emissions be reduced to 1990 <br />levels by 2020. <br />Climate Change Scoping Plan <br />CARB adopted the first Scoping Plan (AB 32 Scoping Plan) in December 2008 to identify how the <br />state would achieve the goals of AB 32. The Scoping Plan establishes an overall framework for the <br />measures that will be adopted to reduce California's GHG emissions. CARB determined that <br />achieving the 1990 emissions level would require a reduction of GHG emissions of approximately <br />29 percent below what would otherwise occur in 2020 in the absence of new laws and regulations <br />(referred to as "business as usual"). The Scoping Plan evaluates opportunities for sector -specific <br />reductions, integrates all CARB and Climate Action Team early actions and additional GHG <br />reduction measures by both entities, identifies additional measures to be pursued as regulations, <br />and outlines the role of a cap -and -trade program. Additional development of these measures <br />and adoption of the appropriate regulations occurred through the end of year 2013. <br />Key elements of the first Scoping Plan (CARB 2008) included: <br />• Expanding and strengthening existing energy efficiency programs, as well as building and <br />appliance standards. <br />• Achieving a statewide renewables energy mix of 33 percent. <br />Developing a California cap -and -trade program that links with other Western Climate <br />Initiative partner programs to create a regional market system and caps sources <br />contributing 85 percent of California's GHG emissions. <br />City of San Leandro 1388 Bancroft Avenue Project <br />November 2018 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration <br />3.0-35 <br />