September 6, 2026
San Rafael City Council
1400 5th Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901
RE: 2024 GHG Inventory
Honorable Mayor and Council Members,
As we continue to witness the intensifying impacts of climate change globally--and locally in the ongoing reality of wildfire, sea level rise, flooding, drought, and heat waves--meeting San Rafael's climate goals becomes increasingly critical.
The 2030 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40%
below 1990 levels can keep us on track to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2045, in line with City, State, United Nations, and scientific findings of what is needed to arrest climate change.
Sustainable San Rafael is pleased to see that the most recent inventory of greenhouse gas emissions for our community (for the year 2024) continues to show a year-by-year
reduction of emissions, though at a somewhat lower average rate than needed to assure meeting the 2030 goal.
GHG Reductions.
Table 2 of the Greenhouse Gas Inventory shows that San
Rafael has reduced GHG emissions to 318,207 metric tons (MTCO2e), or 24% below the 1990 level of 420,810 tons. To reach 40% below 1990, that is 252,486 tons, in the following six years will require additional reductions of 65,721 tons, or an average of 10,954 tons per year. The average yearly change over the last six years (from 2019 to 2024) was 8,666 tons. At that six-year average rate, San Rafael would fall short of its 2030 goal by 13,725 tons.
Although yearly fluctuations from the overall trend line are to be expected, and could result in successfully reaching the 2030 goal, SSR continues to recommend, as we did last year, both close monitoring of the climate actions identified in the City's work plans and Strategic Plans and increased emphasis on those actions most likely to yield success.
Figure 2 of the Inventory clearly shows that electrification of transportation and buildings, along with reduction of landfill methane, are the key areas for action, causing an aggregate 97% of San Rafael's GHG emissions. We recommend specific actions drawn from three City and MarinCAN documents:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Annika Osborn, Co-President
Ben Snyder, Co-President
William Carney, Vice President
Miles Smith, Secretary
Greg Brockbank
Kay Karchevski
Phil Muller
Marisa Nordstrom
Stuart Siegel
415.302.0110
EV Acceleration Strategy.
Rapid transition from gas to electric cars and trucks remains essential. With diminished federal incentives (and heightened federal obstruction), local support is increasingly important per the City's EV Strategy. We recommend:
• City funding of annual EV promotional events and
related marketing campaigns.
• Leading by example with City fleet conversion.
• Advocate for additional MCE incentives.
Building Electrification Roadmap.
Replacing gas home appliances with electric ones reduce both GHG emissions and those that do direct harm to the health of children and other residents. The Building Electrification Roadmap provides the City guidance. We recommend:
• Require time of listing energy audits of buildings.
• Advocate for additional MCE incentives.
• Support the Air Quality District's new 2027 and 2029
rules on replacing worn-out gas equipment.
• Partner with community groups to promote actions.
Marin Biomass Study and Implementation of SB 1383.
Organic material sent to the landfill, instead of placed in green carts for proper disposal, results in methane emissions more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide. We recommend:
• Increased education and enforcement of the City
ordinance and state rules pursuant to SB 1383.
• Enhanced composting and co-digestion of organic
material per the newly released Marin Biomass Study.
We appreciate the City's ongoing actions to reduce the
fundamental causes of climate change as a means of reducing its intensifying impacts.
Sincerely,
Annika Osborn, Ben Snyder
Annika Osborn, Ben Snyder,
Co-Presidents