Climate Action Plan FAQ

How does Sacramento County’s Climate Action Plan benefit County residents?

The Climate Action Plan (CAP) contains measures supporting reduced energy consumption in buildings, which can lead to substantial cost savings for residents that participate. It will also provide alternative transportation options through non-motorized travel modes, reduce the number of vehicles on County roads, and support the electrification of vehicles so that less emissions occur.

The plan also identifies vulnerabilities of the County to climate change and proposes a strategy to reduce impacts from temperature increases, fires, flooding, drought, and sea level rise.

Are there opportunities for further public participation during implementation of the Climate Action Plan?

Yes. The Climate Action Plan (CAP) was developed through participation from residents of Sacramento County and this will continue to occur as part of its adoption and implementation.

The CAP specifies coordination with non-profits, community-based organizations, and providing regular updates to the public on its status. In addition, some measures require further approval from the Board of Supervisors, which provides opportunities for additional public input.

Is the Climate Action Plan aligned with Sacramento County’s Climate Emergency Resolution approved in December 2020?

Yes. The County’s Climate Emergency Resolution calls for the urgent and immediate mobilization of public and private resources to develop and implement a climate and sustainability plan that identifies and integrates current and future actions necessary to achieve an equitable, sustainable, and resilient economy and transition to a Countywide carbon neutrality footprint by 2030.

This Climate Action Plan sets out immediate action for greenhouse gas reduction and climate change adaptation, and commits to future updates coinciding with an anticipated General Plan update that will be necessary to transition the County toward carbon neutrality by 2030.

Could Sacramento County’s Climate Action Plan establish carbon neutrality by 2030 as a target now?

Yes. While the County’s proposed Climate Action Plan (CAP) exceeds targets for 2030 greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction based on the State’s legislated goal and statewide Climate Change Scoping Plan, the CAP does not contain GHG reductions necessary for carbon neutrality by 2030. However, the environmental document for the CAP includes an alternative that could be selected by the County Board of Supervisors which would establish a carbon neutrality pathway now. If selected, Alternative 2 would update the CAP’s target and authorize the development of supplemental GHG reduction measures for inclusion into the Climate Emergency Response Plan indicated in the County’s Climate Emergency Resolution.

What assumptions were made in calculating greenhouse gas reductions?

Greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions will occur through a combination of reduction measures and external factors like legislation, plans and programs from the State and agencies with overlapping jurisdiction. The assumptions used to quantify GHG reduction measures are contained in Appendix E of the Climate Action Plan.

Who paid for the Sacramento County Climate Action Plan?

The Climate Action Plan (CAP) was funded through budget from the Office of Planning and Environmental Review and from cost recovery agreements from master plan developers. Approximately 65 percent of the project budget came from internal County budget and 35 percent from external sources.

Did interest groups have input into the development of the Climate Action Plan?

Yes. In addition to public input from individual County residents, the County received input from many interested local organizations involved in resource management, environmental advocacy, public utilities, building trades, and land management. A stakeholder working group comprised of these groups was formed in 2020 to provide feedback during preparation of the Climate Action Plan (CAP).

County staff’s determinations on the CAP’s approach and content were made following feedback from the public, stakeholders, other County departments, environmental consultants,. These will be provided to the Planning Commission for a recommendation and the Board of Supervisors for a final determination.

Which County department will implement and enforce the Climate Action Plan?

Each measure contained in the Climate Action Plan (CAP) has one or more departments that will be responsible for implementation as noted in the description of the measures. In addition, a full-time Sustainability Manager will provide internal coordination between departments and external parties.

How does the Climate Action Plan relate to the County’s 2030 General Plan?

The Climate Action Plan (CAP) is designed to fulfill the requirements of the General Plan to produce a second phase Climate Action Planning document, as described in Mitigation Measure CC-2(b). The CAP also expands upon policies with greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction benefits that are included as policies in the General Plan.

Is the Climate Action Plan analyzed for potential environmental impacts?

Yes. As a mitigation measure associated with the County’s General Plan, potential environmental impacts from the Climate Action Plan’s (CAP’s) adoption were analyzed through an Addendum to the General Plan Environmental Impact Report. This document was published concurrently with the CAP, with a 30-day public comment period.

Though not required, the Addendum featured a set of alternatives developed with feedback from stakeholders representing different scenarios for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets and strategy-specific focus areas.

What does it mean that the Climate Action Plan is a “qualified” document?

A qualified Climate Action Plan (CAP) is one that meets requirements so that future development projects requiring environmental review under State law can streamline greenhouse gas (GHG) impact analyses by demonstrating consistency with the CAP. It will allow for consistency in the GHG reducing features that are included as part of the design of new development projects.

Does the Climate Action Plan (CAP) meet state requirements?

Yes. This CAP complies with State and local requirements. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15183.5 describes the requirements for lead agencies such as Sacramento County to create a plan for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. To serve as the County’s qualified plan for the reduction of GHGs, the CAP has been aligned with the State’s 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan, and will be updated when the California Air Resources Board adopts the 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan, which has not been published for public review at this time.

Does the Climate Action Plan (CAP) seek to reduce auto traffic?

Yes. The CAP does seek reductions in auto traffic in the unincorporated County through several Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction measures, including the following measures:

GHG-11 – Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Reductions;
GHG-12 - Transportation System Management Plans;
GHG-13 - Reduced Minimum Parking Standards;
GHG-14 - Improve Transit Access;
GHG-15 – Improve Pedestrian Network and Facilities;
GHG-16 – Implement Traffic Calming Measures; and
GHG-17 – Improve Bicycle Network and Facilities.

Additionally, the CAP seeks reductions in auto traffic from County employees through the following measures:

GOV-EC-01 – Establish Employee Transportation Program;
GOV-EC-02 – Expand Transit Subsidy Program;
GOV-EC-03 – Determine Feasibility of Employee Shuttle System;
GOV-EC-04 – Expand Secure Bicycle Storage Facilities; and
GOV-EC-05 – Provide Carpool-At-Work Incentives.

Is the County conducting environmental analysis of the Climate Action Plan (CAP)?

Yes. The County has prepared an Addendum to the General Plan Update Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Sections 15162-15164. An addendum to a previously certified EIR is appropriate if some changes or additions are necessary but none of the conditions calling for preparation of a subsequent EIR have occurred. This document includes an environmental analysis of the potential environmental effects of the CAP.

The Addendum was released to the public. It was first published on September 7, 2021, for a 30-day public review period, and a Revised Addendum was published on February 17, 2022, for another 30-day review period.

Will the Climate Action Plan (CAP) facilitate sprawl?

No. The CAP does not provide land use entitlements that permit new growth. Please see Appendix I, the Consistency Review Checklist, on how projects would show compliance with the CAP in order to achieve California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) streamlining. Please also note that this streamlining is applicable to only the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) analysis portion of the environmental review process.

Planning and Environmental Review