Carlsbad’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
An updated plan for how Carlsbad will reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next 20 years was approved by the City Council Tuesday, following more than two years of work by the project team. 

The Climate Action Plan Update is designed to meet state targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two key dates: 

By 2035: Half of what they were in 2016 

By 2045: 85% lower than they were in 2016 

Taking inventory
How will we know if we are meeting these targets? We start with something called a greenhouse gas inventory. 

Step 1: Establish a starting point
First, the city gathers data from utilities and regional, state and federal agencies to show how much greenhouse gas is being emitted in Carlsbad and the sources.

Here are a few examples of activities occurring in our city that generate greenhouse gas emissions:

• Energy: Electricity and natural gas consumption in homes, businesses and industries
• Transportation: Vehicles and other forms of transportation within the city
• Waste: Trash decomposing in landfills generates greenhouse gas emissions
• Water use: You might not associate water with energy use, but most of the water we use is pumped to Carlsbad from hundreds of miles away. Pumping water uses energy, which creates greenhouse gas emissions. 

Step 2: Make projections and set goals
The city utilizes data from the San Diego Association of Governments that forecasts trends in population, housing and jobs. These models help us estimate future greenhouse gas emissions so we know how much we need to reduce to meet the state’s reduction levels.

Step 3: Make a plan
Based on the sources of emissions, we develop ways to reduce them, focusing on areas the city can control or influence. For example, Carlsbad can:

• Reduce landfill emissions by boosting recycling and composting programs, which help divert waste from landfills where it produces methane.
• Increasing the amount of clean energy used in Carlsbad. (We have made significant progress already through the Clean Energy Alliance.)
• Reducing water use reduces the energy used for pumping and treating water.

Each of these strategies, called measures in the plan, has an estimated reduction over time. Combined, they are forecasted to meet the goals of the plan.

Step 4: Track our progress
The Climate Action Plan Update not only sets targets but also includes annual tracking to monitor the city’s progress. Staff will return to the City Council each year with a report showing the different measures are working. This way, we ensure we stay on track to meet Carlsbad’s goals.

More information
Draft Climate Action Plan Update
Climate Action Plan webpage