El Cerrito’s current Climate Action Plan (CAP) was adopted in 2013 and is 10 years old. In 2019, the City Council passed a resolution declaring a climate emergency and endorsing emergency mobilization efforts to restore a safe and stable climate. The Climate Emergency declaration additionally resolved for the City to strive for zero GHG emissions citywide as quickly as possible within the forthcoming Climate Action Plan update. 

CAAP Goals

The CAAP is intended to specify strategies and actions that will enable the City to achieve or exceed GHG reduction goals; identify climate adaptation and resilience strategies; and provide a means of reporting and monitoring the effectiveness of the plan. The CAAP will include a GHG inventory, including a consumption-based inventory, identify strategies, forecast GHG emission reductions, engage the community, identify climate adaptation and resilience measures, and prepare and develop a comprehensive plan. After selecting Cascadia, the City negotiated with them to add an additional task to the scope of work to evaluate best practices for GHG emissions reductions and recommend the highest priority actions or “early win” options that the City could take to reduce emissions concurrently with, and potentially prior to adoption, of the CAAP. In response to input received from the community, specifically an interest in prioritizing the development of a policy to prohibit natural gas in new construction citywide, Cascadia will also be developing such an ordinance concurrent with, and prior to adoption of, the CAAP.

The CAAP will be developed over the next 12 to 14 months. The planning process will include a significant amount of community outreach, including at least two community workshops to develop strategies and goals that are well suited to El Cerrito. The final product will be a plan that is highly accessible to the community and provides an implementation plan for the City as an organization, and the community as a whole, to meet more ambitious emission reduction targets.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Please take our El Cerrito Climate Action & Adaptation Plan Survey 

CAAP Focus Areas

Fact Sheet (English)

Fact Sheet (Spanish)

Fact Sheet (Chinese)

Postcard

Community Workshop #1 Presentation  - Saturday, June 3, 2023

Community Workshop #2 Presentation - Wednesday, August 23, 2023

For more information, email Christina Leard at cleard@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us.

RFP Details

The City issued an RFP from qualified consultants to assist the City in developing a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) that builds on the existing Climate Action Plan while serving as a standalone document. At the December 6, 2022 City Council meeting, the City Council approved a contract with Cascadia Consulting Group for this update. 

View the proposal: Council Approved CAAP Proposal with Natural Gas Ban Ordinance

View the Request for Proposals and Associated Documents: RFP for Climate Action Plan Update

2013 Climate Action Plan

The Climate Action Plan (CAP) can be downloaded below.

Download document (excluding appendices) - large PDF

Or, download by section: (all PDF)

Executive Summary (and table of contents)
Chapter 1: Climate Change in Context
Chapter 2: El Cerrito's Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Chapter 3: Community Climate Action Strategies
Chapter 4: Municipal Climate Action Strategies
Chapter 5: Personal Climate Action
Chapter 6: Implementation
Appendices

Summary of Public Comments

Hardcopies of this document is also available for public review during regular business hours at:

• El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito
• El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Avenue, El Cerrito 

Contact Information: For more information about the CAP and the City's Climate and Sustainability initiatives, contact Will Provost at 510-559-7684.

Related Documents and Presentations:

• Climate Action Plan Implementation Report - Presentation to the Environmental Quality Committee, June 11, 2019. Download the presentation.
• GHG Inventory Presentation to the Environmental Quality Committee, May 9, 2017. Download the presentation.
• Progress Update on the Climate Action Plan to City Council, Sept. 20, 2010. Download the presentation or view the webcast.
• El Cerrito's GHG Inventory and Carbon Footprint - a presentation to the Environmental Quality Committee on El Cerrito's 2005 Baseline GHG Inventory. Download the presentation.
• Documents from the community workshops on climate action strategies held in fall 2010.
  • Workshop #1 (Oct. 26, 2010) - Introduction to the Climate Action Plan, General Community Strategies. Download the presentation or notes from the workshop.
  • Workshop #2 (Nov. 12, 2010) - Land Use and Transportation Strategies. Download the presentation or notes from the workshop.
  • Workshop #3 (Dec. 2, 2010) - Community Energy Strategies. Download the presentation or notes from the workshop.
• Adoption of GHG Reduction Emissions Targets by City Council (Feb. 22, 2011). Download the Council Agenda Bill, presentation, or view the webcast.
• CEQA Review Documents (Feb. 12, 2013)
  • Draft Initial Environmental Study and Negative Declaration (PDF)
  • Draft Initial Environmental Study and Draft Negative Declaration Appendix (PDF)