Implementing Climate Policies for a Greener Future
In 2006, Berkeley voters approved Measure G, an advisory measure that set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% by 2050. Worldwide, global temperatures in 2006 were 0.66C warmer than the 20th century average. In 2023, global temperatures rose to 1.18C above average, by far the warmest on record. Despite the concerning trends worldwide, for decades Berkeley has been at the forefront of environmental issues. From being the first City to introduce curbside recycling in the early 1970s to eliminating styrofoam in the 1980s, Berkeley has consistently raised the bar for environmental stewardship that others have since followed. While reducing GHGs by 80% was a bold idea at the time, the pace at which climate change is happening has meant even bolder action is needed. In 2021, Council approved a new timeline - to have net zero emissions by 2045, including a 75% reduction by 2035. This newsletter will go over the work the City is doing to address resiliency in a changing environment.
Berkeley’s Climate Action Plan
In June 2009, Berkeley was one of the first cities to adopt a Climate Action Plan. The City of Berkeley’s Climate Action Plan sets forth a vision of a more sustainable, livable, equitable, and economically vibrant community. By using energy more efficiently, harnessing renewable electricity to power our buildings, enhancing access to sustainable transportation, reducing waste, and building local food systems, we can keep dollars in our local economy, create new green jobs, and improve our quality of life. The plan calls for a more sustainable Berkeley by:
Creating a path for new and existing buildings to achieve zero net energy consumption
Advancing public transit, cycling, and other forms of sustainable transportation
Implementing zero waste policies and reducing landfill waste
Promoting resilience for a changing climate
Ensuring that social and economic benefits and shared across the community
An update report for the Climate Action Plan is published annually, with the last one, which provides data from 2021, published in December 2023. It shows that since 2000, GHG emissions have dropped 25%, even while Berkeley’s population increased by 21% since 2000. While the 2021 GHG emissions represent an 8% increase from 2020, this increase was anticipated as transportation emissions (which account for 54% of all GHG emissions) rebounded after it plummeted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Transportation is expected to decline in the future as people return to public transit and the City expands on its Electric Mobility options. The second largest contributor of GHG emissions, natural gas (29%) is expected to fall significantly over the coming years as the City advances its electrification policies. The third largest source of GHG emissions, electricity, is expected to drop from 14% in 2021 to near zero today, thanks to Berkeley switching to 100% renewable energy in 2022. The remaining 3% come from landfill waste, water, and municipal energy use.
Achieving Energy Independence Through Clean, Local Electricity
As mentioned above, Berkeley recently switched to 100% renewable energy. In 2018, Ava Community Energy, formerly East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), launched. I was a long-time champion for community choice energy and was a founding member of the then EBCE Board of Directors. The not-for-profit public agency is the energy provider for most cities in Alameda County, plus Tracy, with expansion into other cities in San Joaquin County next year. Ava purchases electricity primarily from California at rates that are competitive with PG&E, while investing in the development of local sources of renewable energy, improving regional resiliency and sustainability while generating local jobs.
When Berkeley first joined Ava in 2018, 86% of electricity was GHG-free, resulting in a noticeable dip in the GHG emissions in Berkeley from electricity. By 2019, all municipal buildings switched to 100% renewable under Ava Energy’s Renewable 100 Plan. In 2021, Council voted to expand this to residential and commercial customers, which went into effect in April 2022 and October 2022 respectively. Under the Renewable 100 Plan, all electricity comes from just two types of energy sources - solar and wind. These actions have put Berkeley on a path to achieving a significant decrease in GHG emissions at very little financial cost.
Greener Building Standards and Urban Infill
Berkeley made international headlines in 2019 when it became the first city in the country to require all new construction to be electrified, eliminating natural gas, a major contributor of GHGs. Despite the setback on the ban of natural gas in new construction after a court overturned the law, the future is electric. The City will not be stifled in continuing the fight for a better, cleaner future for our communities. Neither a well-funded fossil fuel lobby nor the disappointment from these court rulings will stop Berkeley from being a leader in climate action.
One of the first major pieces of legislation I introduced as Mayor was the Deep Green Building Initiative along with Councilmember Hahn in February 2017. This overarching proposal addresses a variety of recommendations for new and remodeled residential developments including achieving zero net energy or greater for buildings. For existing structures, education and community outreach has provided information on how to transition to electrification. The Energy Code has been updated to promote zero net energy, healthy building materials, and water conservation. The Building Emissions Saving Ordinance (BESO) has been updated, requiring building owners and homeowners to complete and publicly report comprehensive energy assessments to uncover energy and GHG emissions saving opportunities. BESO is required prior to sale of a house or whole building under 25,000 square feet, and on a 5-year recurring cycle for large multifamily and commercial buildings.
When the City Council approved its updated Housing Element in early 2023, it took an infill-first approach to housing development. Prioritizing density and affordable housing near transit hubs and employment-rich areas will help reduce vehicle miles traveled and transportation emissions, the largest source of GHG emissions in Berkeley. A majority of new units that will be built in Berkeley will be at infill sites, helping Berkeley accommodate an increasing population in a sustainable and environmentally optimal way. A cornerstone project of this goal is the development of housing at the Ashby and North Berkeley BART stations, with construction at North Berkeley expected to begin around mid-2025.
Advancing Alternative Transit and Ending Reliance on Fossil Fuel Vehicles
With transportation accounting for 54% of Berkeley’s GHG emissions, advancing policies to increase sustainable methods of transportations is key to achieving our climate goals. In January 2021, Council took the first step to phase out the sale of new vehicles that run on fossil fuels by 2027 while promoting the sale of EVs, particularly among low income communities, along with electric micro mobility alternatives such as e-bikes and scooters. As of October 2023, there are 129 publicly available EV charging ports in Berkeley, with a goal of installing 420 chargers by 2025. In 2021, 31% of trips in Berkeley were sustainable (trips that involve walking, biking, and public transportation), not including EV trips, with a goal to reach 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2040. The City is also investing in electrifying its vehicle fleet and installing infrastructure to accommodate the transition away from fossil-fuel vehicles.
Achieving these goals requires continued investments in existing policies, such as the Bike Plan, Pedestrian Plan, and Vision Zero. Creating the infrastructure for safe and accessible sustainable transportation has been proven to increase the usage of such methods of transit. In 2020, the Council adopted the Berkeley Electric Mobility Roadmap to identify goals, strategies, and actions to create a fossil fuel-free transportation system that integrates with and supports the City’s ongoing efforts to increase walking, biking, and public transportation, and ensures equitable access to the benefits of clean transportation.
Climate Equity, Resilience, and Sustainability
The impacts of climate change tend to disproportionately impact low-income communities. In Berkeley, communities along West Berkeley are more prone to increased exposure to pollution and flooding. Creating individual resiliency can be costly, creating additional barriers to transitioning to a sustainable lifestyle. To address this, Council launched a Pilot Climate Equity Fund in 2021. This fund creates more accessibility to support existing programs such as the Electric Mobility Roadmap and Berkeley Existing Building Electrification Strategy, allowing low-income families and individuals the ability to participate in these programs that are critical to meeting our climate goals. $600,000 has been initially provided to fund these programs, and if successful, will be expanded upon. One program that has already seen success is the Berkeley E-Bike Equity Project, which has distributed 56 electric bikes to income-qualified Berkeley households for their long-term use.
Creating climate resilience and sustainability requires a long-term plan. In 2018,Berkeley voters overwhelmingly approved an advisory measure to develop Vision 2050, a 30-year plan to identify and guide implementation of climate-smart, technologically-advanced, integrated and efficient infrastructure to support a safe, vibrant and resilient future for Berkeley. The Vision 2050 framework was created in 2020, which highlights three principles for implementation: taking an equitable approach to support vibrant and safe communities; having efficient and well maintained infrastructure; and incorporating green technology to address climate change. These three principles can be achieved through five strategies:
using integrated and balanced planning, (such as a “Dig Once” policy which will create a standardized process for maintaining streets);
a management plan for the lifespan of infrastructure instead of reactive response to maintenance;
utilizing sustainable and safe technologies;
doubling capital expenditures to eliminate unfunded infrastructure liabilities; and
creating interdepartmental collaboration in the development of a major capital program.
Taking action today on the growing impacts of climate change is necessary to prevent an even bigger crisis happening tomorrow. Taking steps to minimize the threats of wildfires, and to maximize water conservation takes both City and individual action. The work we have done to address these problems is placing us in the right direction, but Berkeley and the world still has to accelerate climate actions. We all have a part to play, and through city programs and initiatives in conjunction with individual actions, we can collectively adapt to climate change.