Climate Action Planning

Climate change is a global issue, but its impacts are felt locally. For the past decade, SANDAG and our partners have worked hard to reduce the impacts of climate change to help ensure a sustainable future for every resident of the San Diego region.

As outlined in the 2021 Regional Plan, SANDAG is combatting climate change on multiple fronts:

Greenhouse gas emissions are a major cause of climate change, with 41% of emissions in the state caused by transportation. SANDAG and its partners are working to lower emissions across the San Diego region by planning and building a more efficient and low-emission regional transportation system.
In partnership with the 19 jurisdictions that make up SANDAG, we’ve provided data analysis and technical assistance to help local cities create climate action plans (CAPs) that show how they will lower emissions in their communities toward a goal of meeting the state’s “carbon neutrality” target in 2045.
Through its Roadmap program, SANDAG has collaborated with local agency staff and leading climate planning experts to prepare the Regional Climate Action Planning Framework (ReCAP), which uses the best available scientific data to identify best practices and guidance for preparing Climate Action Plans and monitoring implementation. SANDAG also provides Energy Roadmaps to member agencies to help them reduce energy use in municipal operations and in the community.
SANDAG’s Climate Action Data Portal serves as an important online resource for climate planning data for the San Diego region. Funded primarily by a Caltrans grant, the portal provides access to greenhouse gas inventory and activity data collected by ReCAP.

Local Jurisdictional Services

Climate Action Planning

In 2016, SANDAG began offering climate action planning services to its member agencies through the Roadmap Program. In addition to ReCAP and the ReCAP Snapshots, the climate action planning services include customized technical assistance to develop, implement, and update CAPs with support from consultants and dedicated SANDAG staff at no cost. Resources prepared with SANDAG Climate Action Planning Services include:

City of Del Mar's Climate Action Plan Implementation Plan

City of Encinitas Climate Action Plan and Implementation Plan

City of Escondido’s Climate Action Plan

City of Solana Beach Climate Action Plan, Implementation Plan, and Implementation Cost Analysis

City of La Mesa Benefit-Cost Analysis (Appendix C of the Climate Action Plan)

City of Oceanside's Benefit-Coast Analysis and Implementation Staff Impact Analysis (supplementary analysis for the Climate Action Plan)

City of Imperial Beach’s Climate Action Plan Technical Support (Appendices A, B, and C)

City of Lemon Grove's Climate Action Plan

City of San Marcos Climate Action Plan

Energy Engineering

Since 2010, the Roadmap Program has provided free energy assessments and energy management plans, or “Energy Roadmaps,” to SANDAG member agencies. Each Energy Roadmap provides a framework for a local government to reduce energy use in municipal operations and in the community, with the goal to enhance economic savings and GHG emissions reductions in support of climate action planning goals and targets. As the Energy Roadmaps were completed for local jurisdictions in the region, the demand to implement them has increased. In 2016, SANDAG began offering additional no-cost technical services, including project management support for energy efficiency retrofits, technical support and procurement assistance, training and recognition feasibility studies, and performance and GHG emissions–reductions monitoring.

Download Energy Roadmaps (ZIP)

Case Study: SANDAG Energy Roadmap Program, 2013

Case Study: SANDAG Helps City of Vista Achieve Energy Savings

Case Study: City of San Marcos Realizes Energy Savings with the Help of SANDAG