November 2, 2025
San Rafael City Council
1400 5th Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901
RE: GHG Inventory and Electrification Roadmap
Honorable Mayor and Council Members,
Sustainable San Rafael is pleased to see that the most recent inventory of greenhouse gas emissions for our community (2023) continues to show a year-by-year reduction of
emissions, though at a somewhat lower rate than needed to assure meeting the City and State goal of 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.
Meeting that 2030 goal is critical to maintaining the trajectory towards net zero GHG emissions by 2045, in line with City, State, United Nations, and scientific findings of what is necessary to arrest the increasingly costly and deadly impacts of climate change.
Continued progress in implementing the City's fiscal year 2023-25 sustainability priorities and those set by the
Council's FY 2025-28 Strategic Plan is essential to reaching these goals, especially rapid implementation of the Electric Vehicle Acceleration Strategy and now the Building
Electrification Roadmap. Electrification of both transportation and buildings is key to maintaining this progress.
GHG Reductions.
Table 2 of the Greenhouse Gas Inventory shows that San
Rafael has reduced GHG emissions to 306,408 metric tons (MTCO2e), or 24% below the 1990 levels of 403,713 tons. To reach 40% below 1990, that is 242,228 tons, in the following seven years will require additional reductions of 64,180 tons, or an average of 9,169 tons per year. The yearly change from 2022 to 2023 was 7,360 tons.
Although such yearly fluctuations from the overall trend line are to be expected, SSR continues to recommend, as we did last year, that future inventories highlight such variations and the remaining annual reductions needed to meet the 2030 goal, along with the actions most likely to yield success.
Again, the 2030 goal currently appears to be within reach, but will require continued close monitoring of the climate actions identified in the City's work plans and Strategic Plans:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Annika Osborn, Co-President
Ben Snyder, Co-President
William Carney, Vice President
Miles Smith, Secretary
Greg Brockbank
Kay Karchevski
Rina Lopez
Phil Muller
Marisa Nordstrom
Stuart Siegel
415.302.0110
EV Acceleration Strategy.
Representing two-thirds of San Rafael's remaining carbon footprint, rapid transition from gas to electric cars and trucks remains the obvious way to confront climate change. With diminished federal incentives (and heightened federal
hostility) towards EVs, local support is increasingly important in the form of charging infrastructure, funding for EV
promotional events, leading by example with City fleet
conversion, and advocacy for additional MCE and State
incentives. These are all elements of San Rafael's current EV Acceleration Strategy, well supported by the emission-free and renewable electricity provided by MCE Clean Energy.
Building Electrification Roadmap.
Gas home appliances and systems account for over a quarter of remaining GHG emissions, as well as emissions that do direct harm to the health of children and other residents. The ten action steps in the carefully designed and well-vetted Building Electrification Roadmap provide guidance for the City to continue strengthening building codes, public
education, and incentives to assist residents and businesses, including preparing them for the 2027 and 2029 Air Quality District limitations on replacing gas equipment.
SB 1383 Implementation.
The third largest contributor to GHG emissions in San Rafael is organic material being sent to the landfill, rather than placed in green carts for proper disposal through composting and other climate-responsible biomass utilization pathways such as those producing renewable electricity and
sequestration in biochar and other wood products. Reducing these emissions means supporting such pathways and
continuing to improve compliance with the City's green cart ordinance and state requirements pursuant to SB 1383.
Preparedness for sea level rise and other climate impacts.
We remain supportive of the City's proactive efforts to improve our community's preparedness for sea level rise, wildfire, flooding, and other climate impacts that will inevitably worsen until the greenhouse gases driving them are adequately controlled and sequestered.
We appreciate the City's close attention and ongoing actions to reducing both the causes and impacts of climate change.
Sincerely,
Annika Osborn, Ben Snyder
Annika Osborn, Ben Snyder,
Co-Presidents