CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting: August 16, 2022
Subject
Consider adopting the Climate Action Plan 2.0 (CAP 2.0) and GHG Emissions Thresholds Recommended Action
Adopt Resolution No. 22-XXX adopting the Climate Action Plan 2.0 Initial Study/Negative Declaration Adopt Resolution No. 22-XXX adopting the Climate Action Plan 2.0 and GHG Emissions Thresholds Discussion
The CAP 2.0 document is the result of feedback from the public, stakeholders, community leaders, and expert consultants, with critical guidance from the Sustainability Commission and from the City Council. When the project kicked off in December 2020, the City Council set an intention to create a plan that is more ambitious than the State SB 32 guidelines. The plan presented today achieves that ambition and sets a path to reduce the community’s per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 3.39 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MT CO₂e) per person – equivalent to 50% below 2010 levels by 2030. The chart below summarizes the roadmap and greenhouse gas reductions proposed from each of the chapters in the plan.
Since the CAP 2.0 process was launched in December of 2020, the City has conducted 26 public engagement events, directly engaged with more than 830 individuals in person, received thousands of views on the project website, and received 327 survey responses. The project documents have been downloaded 379 times. Most survey respondents (82%) responded positively to the measures, actions, and targets in the CAP 2.0.
Environmental Review Committee Input
The City project team created a draft Initial Study and Negative Declaration (IS/ND) as the proposed method to complete the required California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental review. This approach was proposed to the Environmental Review Committee on May 19, 2022. After a discussion, the Environmental Review Committee recommended that the City proceed with preparing a Negative Declaration for the CAP 2.0.
The IS/ND was prepared and determined that the CAP 2.0 would not result in a significant effect on the environment because the CAP 2.0 is a long-range planning, policy-level document intended to establish consistency with adopted statewide policies and does not include any specific development proposals, nor does the project grant any entitlements for development.
The draft IS/ND was published to the website on June 8. No public comments were received regarding the environmental documents during the 30-day public comment period.
Sustainability Commission Input
At a May 26 special meeting, the Commission discussed the draft CAP 2.0 and received a presentation on the public engagement results. After a discussion, the Commission voted to recommend the CAP 2.0 be moved forward to the City Council for adoption with suggestions to add language to the content to encourage K-12 student common transportation and promote vegan and vegetarian menu options in local businesses.
City Council Study Session
On June 21, the Council conducted a third study session on this subject. Councilmembers asked clarifying questions and provided feedback on the draft plan. The project team has compiled detailed responses from the June 21 study session in Attachment G. A complete set of questions and answers, covering the entire CAP 2.0 development process, is available at the project website.
During the study session, two Council members requested further analysis of Measure TR-2, looking at the feasibility of increasing transit mode share in Cupertino. Below is a brief analysis of the recommendation and two alternatives for Council’s consideration. The complete analysis of transit scenarios are detailed in Appendix E, and summarized in Appendix E, Table 12.
The following options regarding Measure TR-2 are outlined for Council consideration.
Option 1: Maintain the plan as described.
The Project Team and the Sustainability Commission have recommended the set of goals, measures and actions as described in the Public Review Draft CAP 2.0. Becoming a carbon neutral city means reducing the number of miles driven by fossil fuel-powered vehicles, particularly passenger vehicles, which account for 43% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the City. Approximately 2% of trips are conducted by public transit today. The reality is that increasing public transit mode share on this order of magnitude in California has only been accomplished in a handful of large, dense cities. Given this, the City recognizes that Measure TR-2 presents a stretch goal. The project team believes that setting this stretch goal for transit and active mode share is an important feature of the CAP 2.0 for the following reasons:
Cities with bold targets supported by actionable plans and measures are better positioned for future funding and to take advantage of regional partnership opportunities as they arise. For example, Cupertino was just awarded $8.5 million from the State to expand upon the Via Shuttle program, with the express purpose of improved connections to regional rail and increasing services for disadvantaged communities and seniors.
Even if the City does not meet the targets in Measure TR-2, the City will still be on track to meet its state targets. At a bare minimum (lower bound public transit scenario), the City expects to be able to achieve a 5% public transit mode share by 2030. Under this lower bound scenario, Cupertino would not meet its aggressive local GHG target (a 50% reduction in per capita GHGs between 2010 and 2030). However, the City would still meet the Statewide-minimum target (SB 32). Therefore, Cupertino expects to meet the State GHG target regardless of the performance of Measure TR-2. This creates a favorable environment for the City to set a stretch goal for transit.
Plans are expected to change and adapt as local challenges are encountered during implementation of the plan. CAP 2.0 has embedded “check points” during implementation to assess progress on the measures and make mid-point course corrections as needed.
Option 2: Reduce the transit mode share goal from 29% to a less aggressive 15% by 2030. Pair this change with an increased goal for electric vehicles.
Option 2 could maintain the preferred local target for a 50% reduction in citywide GHGs between 2010 and 2030. This option entails prioritizing electric vehicle infrastructure over pursuing more transit options for Cupertino. This option would increase the target number of electric vehicle charging stations that Cupertino would pursue.
Option 3: Change TR-2 from 29% transit mode share to a less aggressive target of 15% by 2030, leave other measures “as-is,” and reduce the overall GHG ambitions of the CAP 2.0.
Option 3 would modify the overall GHG reduction targets set by the City Council during the CAP 2.0 kickoff in December of 2020. The decrease in transit mode share ambition would change the per capita emissions reduction in the City overall from 50% (the local City Council goal) to 48% by 2030. This is still a laudable target, and this option is compliant with the California State SB 32 targets. However, the reduced savings target may slow progress towards some of Cupertino’s commitments under the Cities Race to Zero, and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.
Next Steps
After adoption of the CAP 2.0 and associated CEQA GHG emissions thresholds, the project team will proceed to create streamlining tools and checklists that can be used by future projects to align greenhouse gas analysis with the City’s plan. These tools will provide clarity in how to meet the greenhouse gas targets for future projects and give the City the ability to easily compare development proposals with the greenhouse gas reduction plan.
Sustainability Impact
The update to the City’s Climate Action Plan outlines goals, measures and actions that will guide the City’s approach to greenhouse gas reduction and climate adaptation activities and represents the City's position on State SB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2016. Preparation of an Initial Study, Negative Declaration, and associated CEQA streamlining tools will further incorporate the principles of sustainability into Cupertino’s planning, infrastructure, and development process as required by the Cupertino General Plan Policy ES-1.1 Fiscal Impact
Adopting the Climate Action Plan 2.0 will not by itself have any fiscal impact. Each of the actions proposed in the draft CAP 2.0 will be moved forward with a detailed study, public engagement process, and budget requests as needed. These actions will be implemented over time within the existing work planning and budget process and considered alongside all other City priorities. Each of the actions listed in the CAP 2.0 contains a budgetary range of cost values and general steps for implementation. _____________________________________
Prepared by: Andre Duurvoort, Sustainability Division Manager Approved for Submission by: Dianne Thompson, Acting City Manager Attachments:
A – Resolution Adopting the CAP 2.0 and GHG Emissions Thresholds IS/ND B – Resolution Adopting the CAP 2.0 and GHG Emissions Thresholds C – Climate Action Plan 2.0
D – CAP 2.0 Combined Appendices
E – GHG Emissions Thresholds
F – Initial Study/Negative Declaration
G – Responses to June 16 Study Session
https://engagecupertino.org/climate-action?tool=qanda#tool_tab https://www.cupertino.org/Home/Components/News/News/5664/26?backlist=%2f https://www.c40.org/what-we-do/building-a-movement/cities-race-to-zero/