What is the SA Climate Action and Adaption Plan (CAAP)?
On June 22, 2017, City Council passed a resolution that San Antonio would be in compliance with the Paris Climate Agreements by being Carbon Neutral by 2050. The CAAP draft that needs to be adopted by City Council was developed with the input of 80+ community stakeholders representing neighborhood, environmental, institutional, social justice, and business groups who served on a Steering Committee and five Technical Working Groups.
- It stresses clean energy, energy efficiency, mobility options, vehicle electrification, reduced waste production, and sustainable development as mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the community and the municipal government.
- Includes a vulnerability assessment and adaptation strategies based on down-scaled climate projections through 2100 that reveal a future of extreme heat, increased occurrence of drought, and more severe storm and flood events;
- Is about clean air, good jobs, transportation choices, clean and secure energy, and current and long-term quality of life.
How the CAAP Works: Mitigation and Adaptation
The CAAP deals with the effects of greenhouse gases in two ways: mitigation (reduction and prevention) and adaptation (limit’s the city’s vulnerability to climate change impacts).
- Examples of mitigation activities include increasing renewable energy, reducing energy use in buildings, and increasing carbon-free vehicle use. 48% of emissions come from industrial and commercial buildings first and residential buildings second. 38% of carbon gases come from commercial and private transportation.
- Examples of adaptation activities include flood-proof roadways and critical infrastructure, increase tree canopy, and develop a community wild-fire plan.
How will San Antonio reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) Emissions?
1. Increase Carbon-Free Energy
Almost half of San Antonio’s GHG emissions come from the sources that supply our buildings with energy. Reducing the carbon impact of our energy generation is one of the most impactful single actions we can take to slow climate change. San Antonio will focus on the development of carbon-free, grid-supplied energy and converting existing fossil fuel end uses to this new carbon-free opportunity.
2. Reduce Building Energy Consumption
Reducing the energy consumption of our buildings will reduce the need for energy generated by high-carbon sources. These strategies go hand-in-hand with increasing carbon-free energy by curbing San Antonio’s growing appetite for energy and allowing for the conversion to carbon-free solutions.
3. Reduce Transportation Energy Consumption
More than one-third of San Antonio’s GHG emissions come from our carbon-intensive transportation systems. As a car-centric city, San Antonio will need to utilize smart initiatives to reduce GHG emissions from our transportation systems, including promoting the use of greener vehicle technologies and reducing vehicle miles traveled through transforming and integrating existing transportation networks.
4. Increase Circularity
The waste that goes to the landfill today continues to release GHG emissions for decades as it
breaks down. In recognition of these emissions, San Antonio has identified increasing the circular economy as a pillar of climate action. Together these strategies will work to remove items from the waste stream and divert all remaining waste to the least GHG-intensive waste streams.
5. Promote Biodiversity and Healthy Ecosystems
Healthy, properly functioning ecosystems can absorb emissions and stabilize the rate of change, resulting in less significant impacts. These strategies will promote healthy ecosystem responses and develop solutions that mimic those of natural systems.
6. Educate & Enable
Some of the most important significant behavior changes and limitations to future GHG emissions can be achieved through strategies that may not have significant short-term GHG emission reductions. These strategies will educate San Antonians and develop processes to enable the changes in behavior required to continue GHG emissions reductions into the future.
CAAP and Equity: How does this plan protect the vulnerable?
Equity was a central tool in developing policy: The following are the ways in which the CAAP ensures clear equity gains which is centered around five climate equity themes:
1. Access and Accessibility:Increased access to jobs, housing, transportation, funding, education, healthy foods, and clean air for vulnerable populations.
2. Affordability:Lower / more predictable costs related to basic living needs (e.g. housing, food, utilities, healthcare, transportation, etc.) for vulnerable populations.
3. Cultural Preservation:Respecting and honoring cultural relevance and history.
4. Health: Increased health (physical and mental) for vulnerable populations.
5. Safety and Security: Mitigation of potential threats and increased access to critical lifelines when (or before) threats are experienced.
How does this plan affect neighborhoods?
The CAAP affects transportation and development in our communities which is a topic Tier One Neighborhood Coalition neighborhoods have already been working on. The plan makes our neighborhoods safer as we work on issues such as flooding and heat for vulnerable residents. The plan also asks for a commitment by individuals and neighborhoods to find ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle and change the perception that this is a “new” idea; for our grandparents, this was a way of life. What is most important, is that neighborhoods with strong communities are the best mitigation against natural disasters. This is a point we should make to the City when advocating on issues we care about such as STRs, development, displacement, and housing issues. Strong communities are resilient.
What is the Timeline for the CAAP?
1/25/19 Public Release of the Plan/Open Comment Period
2/24/19 30-day Public Comment Period Closes
2/27/19 Planning Commission Work Session
3/13/19 Planning Commission
3/20/19 CAAP Steering Committee /Public Meeting
3/26/19 Community Health and Equity Committee Briefing
4/3/19 B-Session
4/11/19 A-Session
Public Engagement:
Website – https://saclimateready.org/about-us/draft-climate-action-adaptation-plan/
Survey – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7P2GKF3
CPS Energy Board of Trustees Public Input Session on SA Climate Ready CoSA Open HouseMonday, February 18, 2019 at the Villita Assemble Building at 401 Villita Street
- 5-6 pm Sign up to speak / People First! Community Fair
- 6 – 8:30 pm Public Input Session
CoSA SA Climate Ready Open House Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at the Central Library, 5-7 pm
Sources:
Douglas Melnik, Chief Sustainability Officer of the Office of Sustainability.
The CAAP draft: