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1. Introduction <br />San Leandro 2021 Climate Action Plan Page 3 <br />As a result, these gases are called GHGs and this mechanism is called the greenhouse effect. <br />However, for approximately the past 200 years, human activities have been increasing the <br />concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere, mostly through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, <br />petroleum, and natural gas. As the levels of GHGs in the atmosphere increase, more heat is <br />trapped, increasing the temperature of the Earth’s surface at an unprecedented rate. Since Earth’s <br />climate system is driven by the movement of heat in the atmosphere and in the oceans, more heat <br />creates shifts in the global climate system, which we call climate change. The effects of climate <br />change vary in different geographic locations, but often include significant changes to temperatures, <br />precipitation patterns, and storm activity. Chapter 3 discusses the climate change effects in San <br />Leandro. <br />CLIMATE ACTION PLANNING IN SAN LEANDRO <br />The City of San Leandro prepared its first CAP in 2009 following completion of multiple GHG <br />emission inventories. The City completed its first milestone in 2005, an emissions inventory for both <br />community-wide emissions and from municipal operations. In July 2006, the City adopted its first <br />GHG reduction target to reduce community-wide emissions by 25 percent below 2005 levels by <br />2020. <br />In 2007, the City joined 1,000 other U.S. cities in signing the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection <br />Commitment and joined the Alameda County Climate Protection Project sponsored by StopWaste. <br />This included assembly of a Climate Protection Task Force that brings all City departments together <br />to develop climate solutions. Specific climate actions taken at that time included the nationally <br />recognized smart growth land use plans, such as the Downtown Transit-Oriented Development <br />Strategy, a Green Building Ordinance for municipal buildings, a Construction and Demolition Debris <br />Recycling Ordinance, increased recycling and composting programs for residents, and installation <br />of LED traffic signals. <br />In 2008, ICLEI USA prepared a second community-wide GHG emissions inventory, providing an <br />opportunity to assess change since the 2005 baseline. The 2008 effort included an inventory and <br />a business-as-usual forecast of GHG emissions for the year 2020, which enabled the City to <br />estimate the amount of emissions reductions needed to meet its goal and to provide a foundation <br />for preparation of the City’s first CAP, which the City adopted in 2009. <br />Since adoption of the 2009 CAP, the City created and has designated the Sustainability Office to <br />oversee implementation of the CAP and coordinate the City’s sustainability efforts. In 2017, the City <br />joined the Global Covenant of Mayors, a global coalition of mayors and city officials with a mission <br />to reduce local GHG emissions that involves a written commitment from the mayor or other city <br />official to reduce annual GHG emissions, set a GHG reduction target, and adopt an updated CAP <br />that addresses how the city will meet its GHG reduction targets and sets a framework for climate <br />adaptation. <br />More recent local efforts include adoption of the 2018 Bay Fair Transit-Oriented Development <br />Strategy, membership in East Bay Community Energy, and energy and water efficiency retrofits to <br />City facilities. The City also serves as a member of the East Bay Green Corridor. <br />47