About the Project
The City of Glendale is developing a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP), which will serve as the roadmap for the city to equitably achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 or earlier. The CAAP will also demonstrate how Glendale will adapt and improve its resilience to both existing and future climate change impacts.
The Climate Mitigation component of the CAAP will focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through fossil fuel reduction in buildings and vehicles while the Climate Adaptation component of the CAAP will focus on moderating or avoiding harm and from the effects of climate change. Whenever possible, the CAAP will identify strategies and actions that promote both adaptation and mitigation such as building electrification with battery storage or expanding the urban forest.
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Why is it important?
The City of Glendale is committed to addressing climate change and building resilience. On November 9, 2010, the City adopted a resolution to address sustainability and climate change by using sustainability to guide policy. This CAAP will help the community reduce emissions and increase resilience.
The CAAP will also bring the City into compliance with the state’s GHG reduction targets. The CAAP will aim to reduce GHG emissions at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, as established by Senate Bill 32, and strive to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 or sooner, as established by Executive Order B-55-18 and codified by Assembly Bill 1279. This alignment will better position the City to apply for grant funds to equitably address climate change.
What is Climate Change?
Climate change is driven by human (anthropogenic) activities primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. These activities release gases like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. These gases, commonly known as greenhouse gases or GHGs, absorb and re-emit heat that has been reflected from the Earth’s surface effectively increasing temperatures on Earth. Greenhouse gases from human activities have been collecting in the atmosphere since the 1800’s and are warming the climate more and more every year. The resulting rise in average temperatures across the globe affects precipitation patterns, the severity of wildfires, the prevalence of extreme heat events and droughts, and more.
Glendale is projected to continue to experience increased climate hazards as a result of climate change. These include more extreme and frequent rains and hotter days which drive negative health impacts, drought conditions, wildfire, and localized flooding. Air quality is also expected to worsen as a result of higher temperatures and more frequent wildfires.
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CAAP Development Process
To address climate mitigation, the CAAP process will begin with an inventory of GHG emissions in the community, which will show where GHG emissions are being generated. The GHG emissions inventory will help to establish GHG emissions reduction targets as well as policies and strategies to achieve these reductions.
To address climate adaptation, the CAAP process will begin with the development of a climate vulnerability assessment, which will identify projected climate impacts in the community and the groups of people, physical assets, and services most vulnerable to these impacts. The City will then develop strategies and polices to increase the community’s resilience.
Finally, funding and implementation measures will be developed for the CAAP. In addition, a reporting and monitoring plan will be developed to ensure the effectiveness of the plan. Ongoing monitoring and tracking will allow the City to keep the plan on track to reach the City’s targets and state goals.
