Climate Action Plan Vision & Purpose
Vision
Vision The City of Hayward is focused on creating a more sustainable, equitable and healthy community while maintaining a strong economy, building resilient homes and businesses, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to mitigate climate change. Climate change poses a challenge to that vision and the effects of climate change are already impacting Hayward and other California communities.
Climate change impacts are projected to worsen through the century if there is not a concerted global effort to address the root cause of climate change through reducing the release of GHG emissions. Hayward understands the need for ambitious climate action through GHG emissions reduction. On January 15, 2019, the city passed Resolution No. 19-007, declaring a climate emergency. This resolution calls for an emergency mobilization effort to stop the burning of fossil fuels and release of GHG emissions as soon as possible while educating and engaging residents and businesses about climate change. This Climate Action Plan (CAP) supports that resolution and builds on the progress achieved in Hayward’s 2014 CAP by providing an updated blueprint for reducing GHG emissions, increasing equitable community resilience, and supporting state and global climate goals through achieving the City’s 2030 and 2045 climate action targets.
By achieving carbon neutrality, Hayward will contribute its fair share to address the climate crisis and support international climate goals, limiting global temperature rise. This target is consistent with the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) analysis on what is necessary to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic global climate change.
Purpose
Climate Action
This CAP is intended to set forth new measures and actions to build upon the GHG emissions reductions that have been achieved in recent years. The CAP will guide Hayward towards reducing GHG emissions 55 percent below 2005 per capita levels by 2030, which is consistent with the California 2030 target of 40 percent below 1990 per capita levels, established by California Senate Bill (SB) 32. This CAP will also put the City on a trajectory to meet the State goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045, established by California Assembly Bill (AB) 1279. See Appendix A for a written description and a timeline of relevant climate action planning regulations.
CEQA GHG Emissions Analysis Streamlining
This CAP fulfills the requirements of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15183.5(b) to be considered a “qualified” GHG reduction plan. 2 In compliance with CEQA and State CEQA Guidelines, local agencies must evaluate the environmental impacts of new development projects or plans, including impacts related to GHG emissions associated with the construction and operation of projects or plans. This process can be cumbersome for local agencies and developers alike and can result in project delays. The CEQA Guidelines provide an option for new projects to streamline the CEQA analysis of GHG emissions by tiering from a qualified GHG reduction plan. This CAP and its associated CEQA environmental assessment documentation are consistent with the criteria set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5(b) as summarized in Table 1. As such, this CAP is considered a qualified GHG reduction plan.
Table 1: CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5(b) Criteria Addressed in CAP
CEQA CRITERIA | DCAP CHAPTER ADDRESSING CRITERIA |
|---|---|
| Quantify existing and projected GHG emissions within the plan area | Climate Action History |
| Establish a reduction target consistent with State targets | Climate Action History |
| Identify and analyze sector specific GHG emissions from specific actions or categories of actions anticipated within the geographic area | • Climate Action History • Appendix B |
| Specify measures and actions that substantial evidence demonstrates would collectively achieve the specified reduction target | • GHG Reduction Measures Framework • Building Energy Sector Measures • Transportation Sector Measures • Solid Waste Sector Measures • Water & Wastewater Measures |
| Establish a mechanism to monitor progress and amend the plan if it is not achieving specified emissions levels | • Carbon Sequestration Measures |
| Adopt in a public process following environmental review | See associated CEQA environmental assessment documentation |
If future projects are consistent with this CAP, future CEQA GHG emissions impact analyses can be streamlined according to the City’s direction.
Hayward Climate Emergency Declaration
Acknowledging the pressing and life-threatening nature of climate change, the City of Hayward officially proclaimed a climate crisis through the adoption of Resolution No. 19-007 on January 15th , 2019. Alongside calling for an emergency mobilization effort to cease GHG emissions at the local level, the resolution appeals to the State of California, the United States, and all global governments to launch urgent mobilization campaigns aimed at mitigating climate change, halting the rise of GHG emissions, and safely reducing atmospheric carbon levels.
As part of the resolution the City of Hayward committed to keeping equity central to the climate mobilization planning process by encouraging inclusive community engagement and diverse participation. The development process for this CAP and the measures are aligned with this mission. Please refer to the Current & Projected GHG Emissions page for more detail about the planning process and how public input was incorporated into this CAP.
