In September 2019, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea (City) began the process of developing Climate Adaptation and Action Plans that would establish a roadmap to reduce local greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change. The City convened a Climate Committee (Committee), consisting of two council members, four members of the public, and two staff members. The Committee held a series of monthly meetings with presentations from technical experts and agency partners to better understand the community’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The meetings also guided the preparation of the draft Climate Adaptation and Action Plans.
The Committee has prepared a Climate Adaptation Plan (Attachment 2) that presents adaptation strategies for the City to prepare for the anticipated impacts associated with climate change, such as stronger storms, more frequent and larger wildfires, sea level rise, drought, and increased temperatures. The Climate Action Plan is included as Appendix A in the Climate Adaptation Plan. The Climate Action Plan presents measures that will serve as a road map to meet the City’s GHG emission reduction targets. These targets align with the state’s targets of reducing GHG emissions to 40% below 1990 emission levels by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.
The pre-final versions of the Climate Adaptation Plan and Climate Action Plan were presented to the Planning Commission on May 11, 2022, the Forest and Beach Commission on May 12, 20022, and the City Council on June 7, 2022 for input. In addition, a number of community meetings were held for community members to provide input on the draft Plans.
At the June 16, 2022 Climate Committee meeting, all the comments received were reviewed by the Committee for inclusion into the Plans. The Committee approved the final draft Climate Adaptation Plan and Climate Action Plan at their July 7, 2022 Special Meeting and is now requesting formal adoption by the City Council. The adoption of the Climate Action Plan and Climate Adaptation Plan is categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as specified in the CEQA Guidelines Section 15308 (Class 8) - Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment. No exceptions to the exemption exist pursuant to section 15300.2 of the CEQA guidelines.
The Climate Adaptation Plan and Climate Action Plan include numerous projects, initiatives, and programs that will be implemented over many years. Staff have already initiated several projects, including the purchase of an electric sweeper and coordination with PG&E to develop more Electric Vehicle charging stations at City facilities and parking lots, a coastal engineering study to determine potential pathways for sea level rise adaptation, and updating the City’s design guidelines. Additional projects and initiatives are also included in the 5-year Capital Improvement Plan. Staff will provide annual updates to the City Council on the progress of these initiatives.