County Launches Climate Initiative to Engage Community

Source: County of Santa Barbara

The County of Santa Barbara is announcing the launch of the One Climate Initiative to engage the public on a broad range of efforts that will reduce carbon emissions, prepare for increased climate impacts and improve community quality of life.

“Amidst uncertain times and a multitude of crises affecting the state and nation, the Board and County staff seek to shine a light to a hopeful future,” said Gregg Hart, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “Through One Climate, we want to hear from the community how we can protect what we love, and make our county as prosperous, equitable and resilient as possible.”

In late 2020, the County will begin initiating several large efforts to combat climate change and increase community resilience, including:

• Safety Element and Adaptation Plan – The Safety Element of the General Plan will be updated to address climate change. A climate change vulnerability assessment is being conducted to comprehensively consider climate change impacts, vulnerable populations and community assets.

• 2030 Climate Action Plan (CAP) – The County’s current 2015 Energy & Climate Action Plan will sunset by 2020. The new 2030 CAP will be developed to achieve a 50 percent reduction of communitywide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The 2030 CAP will also feature resilience measures in response to likely and imminent climate change impacts and updated thresholds of significance for local projects.

• Active Transportation Plan (ATP) – The ATP will emphasize the need for both active transportation infrastructure planning and programs to help meet the County and region’s goals for transportation mobility and accessibility choices. The ATP aims to promote safety, mobility, and access while reducing carbon emissions and supporting public health.

• Community Choice Energy (CCE) Launch – In 2021, Central Coast Community Energy (formerly Monterey Bay Community Power) will enroll residential and commercial customers in the unincorporated areas of the county and all cities with the exception of Lompoc and Santa Barbara. The City of Santa Barbara will also launch its own CCE program in 2021. County and city staff will engage as many customers as possible to inform them about the changes, their options and benefits of participation.

The public can learn more at countyofsb.org/oneclimate and sign up for the County’s monthly sustainability e-newsletter to receive updates. For more information, the public may contact Garrett Wong at gwong@countyofsb.org or call (805) 390-2983.

About the One Climate Initiative:
The One Climate Initiative (One Climate) is a new countywide initiative led by the County of Santa Barbara to reaffirm its commitment to address climate change. It will serve as a unifying brand and messaging platform for several major efforts launching in 2020 and beyond. The County invites the public to learn more and engage by visiting countyofsb.org/oneclimate, where they can also sign up for the County’s monthly sustainability e-newsletter to receive updates.