Laserfiche WebLink
<br />San Leandro 2021 Climate Action Plan Page ES-1 <br />Executive Summary <br />PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES <br />The 2021 Climate Action Plan (CAP) is San Leandro’s comprehensive strategy to reduce <br />greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to adapt to changing climate conditions. The CAP allows <br />City of San Leandro (City) decision-makers, staff, and the community to understand the sources <br />and magnitude of local GHG emissions and the impacts of climate change on the community, <br />reduce GHG emissions, prioritize steps to achieve GHG emission-reduction targets, and increase <br />resilience. <br />The 2021 CAP is an update to the 2009 CAP, providing updated information, an expanded set of <br />GHG reduction strategies, climate adaptation strategies, and a planning horizon out to 2050. The <br />CAP contains an inventory of the City of San Leandro’s GHG emissions from the transportation, <br />energy, off-road equipment, waste, and water and wastewater sectors, as well as from Bay Area <br />Rapid Transit (BART) operations; an assessment of the populations and community assets most <br />vulnerable to climate change; and goals, strategies, and actions to address climate change <br />adaptation and GHG emissions. The 2021 CAP also presents a work plan and monitoring program <br />for the City to track progress over time. <br />San Leandro community members are committed to principles of justice and equity, and the 2021 <br />CAP must reflect this. To that end, the City prioritized an engagement effort and plan preparation <br />process that was fair, inclusive, community-driven, and cognizant of the structural injustices faced <br />by many members of the San Leandro community over time. Community-driven planning efforts <br />aim to challenge the imbalance of power inherent in traditional planning practices by following the <br />lead of frontline communities, who identify their own desires, needs, and potential policy solutions, <br />as opposed to being told which problems their communities face by City officials or outside <br />policymakers. Under a community-driven planning paradigm, frontline communities work together <br />with government agencies to develop creative solutions that address the issues of greatest concern <br />to frontline communities and reflect community expertise and lived experience. <br />This CAP acknowledges the need for San Leandro to work toward a just transition and address the <br />root causes of the climate crisis. A just transition refers to the transition away from the extractive <br />profit-driven economy and culture to one that is ecologically sustainable, just, and equitable for all <br />members of society. Central tenants of a just transition include utilization of renewable energy, <br />creation of sustainable green jobs, and distribution of resources and climate action benefits to <br />people based on the greatest unmet need. <br />The City assessed the strategies proposed in this CAP for their equity impact both in the short-term <br />and long-term, using best practice guidance from leading climate policy organizations. City staff <br />and community partners working on CAP implementation will use these assessments to determine <br />priority needs and methods for moving forward. <br />41