|
DATE: |
October 22, 2024 |
29 |
SUBJECT
Title
Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to pledge the County of San Diego to become a partner of California’s Climate Action Counts initiative (DISTRICT: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
At the end of September, political change makers, local decision makers, business leaders, and civil society representatives of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the world gathered in New York City for the annual Climate Week NYC. This annual gathering provides an opportunity for world leaders to come together to develop innovative solutions to climate change. California with its diverse geography is seeing the impacts of a changing climate in a variety of ways from devastating wildfires, loss of natural areas, extreme summer heat events, rising sea levels, and other major environmental threats.
The County of San Diego (the “County”) has long been committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure the San Diego region will be resilient in the face of these changing climate conditions and to make the changes needed to prevent climate change from advancing further. These complex and monumental tasks require the commitment of every person and every level of government to do their part to fight for a sustainable and healthy future for both people and the planet.
To this end, during Climate Week, Governor Newsom announced a new state initiative - Climate Action Counts - to mobilize one million Californians to take climate action at home and in their neighborhoods to help build resilient communities.
The Climate Action Counts initiative (the “Initiative”) aims to educate and inspire people to reimagine the power of volunteerism by taking impactful, everyday actions in their communities. The Initiative includes ten priority actions for participants to take to combat the effects of climate change: (i) reduce waste, (ii) compost food scraps, (iii) support local farmers, (iv) green your ride, (v) get planting, (vi) be disaster ready, (vii) save energy, water and money, (viii) discover nature, (ix) tell a friend to take part, and (x) get connected by volunteering in the community.
The Initiative calls for cities, universities, state agencies, community-based organizations, businesses and individuals to pledge to become campaign partners. Current campaign partners include the cities of Long Beach, Riverside and Sacramento, California Community Colleges, University of California, California State University, California Natural Resources Agency, CalRecycle, California ReLeaf, Sierra Club, Jane Goodall Institute, and Patagonia.
This board letter requests the San Diego County Board of Supervisors direct the Chief Administrative Officer to (i) pledge the County of San Diego to become a partner of California’s Climate Action Counts initiative and (ii) explore potential opportunities to host fellows from the California Climate Action Corps 2025-2026 Fellowship within existing County program budgets. The California Climate Action Corps is the country’s first state-level, climate service corps to empower all Californians to take meaningful action to safeguard the climate. The County has already taken significant steps to implement programs in support of the Initiative’s ten priority areas and today’s actions will signal the County’s on-going support of these efforts and interest in continued and future collaboration across the public and private sectors and with statewide partners to combat climate change.
RECOMMENDATION
CHAIRWOMAN NORA VARGAS
1. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to pledge the County of San Diego to become a partner of California’s Climate Action Counts initiative by adopting the resolution attached to this board letter as Attachment A entitled “A Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Diego to Pledge the County of San Diego to Become a Partner of California’s Climate Action Counts Initiative.”
2. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to explore potential opportunities to host fellows from the California Climate Action Corps 2025-2026 Fellowship within existing County program budgets.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Communities of color often live on the frontlines of the impacts of climate change due to a long history of environmental racism and unjust policies. These proposed actions express the County’s commitment to pursuing solutions to build a climate resilient future for all San Diego residents and meet the needs of its most underserved communities.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
This proposed action will help achieve a variety of the County’s sustainability goals, including actively combating climate change through innovative policies and protection of our natural resources.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no current fiscal impact associated with this action. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
There may be future fiscal impacts associated with the expansion of current programming, tracking and monitoring of these activities. Departments will include these requests in future Operational Plans. Funding sources may include the reallocation of resources from existing programs and services.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
At the end of September, political change makers, local decision makers, business leaders, and civil society representatives of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the world gathered in New York City for the annual Climate Week NYC. This annual gathering provides an opportunity for world leaders to come together to develop innovative solutions to climate change. California with its diverse geography is seeing the impacts of a changing climate in a variety of ways from devastating wildfires, loss of natural areas, extreme summer heat events, rising sea levels, and other major environmental threats.
The County of San Diego (the “County”) has long been committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure the San Diego region will be resilient in the face of these changing climate conditions and to make the changes needed to prevent climate change from advancing further. These complex and monumental tasks require the commitment of every person and every level of government to do their part to fight for a sustainable and healthy future for both people and the planet.
To this end, during Climate Week, Governor Newsom announced a new state initiative - Climate Action Counts - to mobilize one million Californians to take climate action at home and in their neighborhoods to help build resilient communities.
The Climate Action Counts initiative (the “Initiative”) aims to educate and inspire people to reimagine the power of volunteerism by taking impactful, everyday actions in their communities. The Initiative includes ten priority actions for participants to take to combat the effects of climate change: (i) reduce waste, (ii) compost food scraps, (iii) support local farmers, (iv) green your ride, (v) get planting, (vi) be disaster ready, (vii) save energy, water and money, (viii) discover nature, (ix) tell a friend to take part, and (x) get connected by volunteering in the community.
The Initiative calls for cities, universities, state agencies, community-based organizations, businesses and individuals to pledge to become campaign partners. Current campaign partners include the cities of Long Beach, Riverside and Sacramento, California Community Colleges, University of California, California State University, California Natural Resources Agency, CalRecycle, California ReLeaf, Sierra Club, Jane Goodall Institute, and Patagonia.
This board letter requests the San Diego County Board of Supervisors direct the Chief Administrative Officer to (i) pledge the County of San Diego to become a partner of California’s Climate Action Counts initiative and (ii) explore potential opportunities to host fellows from the California Climate Action Corps 2025-2026 Fellowship within existing County program budgets. The California Climate Action Corps is the country’s first state-level, climate service corps to empower all Californians to take meaningful action to safeguard the climate. The County has already taken significant steps to implement programs in support of the Initiative’s ten priority areas and today’s actions will signal the County’s on-going support of these efforts and interest in continued and future collaboration across the public and private sectors and with statewide partners to combat climate change.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s actions align with the County’s 2024-2029 strategic plan and initiatives therein to actively combat climate change, inspire civic engagement, facilitate meaningful partnerships, and reduce environmental disparities.
Respectfully submitted,
NORA VARGAS
Supervisor, First District
ATTACHMENT
Attachment A - A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO TO PLEDGE THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO TO BECOME A PARTNER OF CALIFORNIA’S CLIMATE ACTION COUNTS INITIATIVE