April 15, 2024
Via email to: sustainable@fostercity.org
Dear Foster City Sustainability Staff,
The Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter thanks you for this opportunity to comment on the draft Climate Action Plan (CAP). We hope you consider the following comments for inclusion in the Draft CAP.
- Include measures to increase tree canopy and expand biodiversity.
The draft CAP states that “Foster City’s tree canopy, which can provide much-needed shade during extreme heat, is limited relative to other cities in the state, covering only seven percent of its land.” However, the Draft CAP does not include measures to address this. Tree Canopy coverage and the protection and expansion of biodiversity will help make Foster City a more bikeable, walkable, and resilient city. Please consider introducing a new goal to Sector 4: Climate Resilience and Leadership that reads as follows.
“C-L.3 Increase Tree Coverage and biodiversity.”
- Add to C-L.4.2 language prioritizing nature-based adaptation solutions.
As Foster City engages in climate adaptation planning efforts, the importance and value of nature-based adaptation solutions should be explicitly stated, especially with regards to planning for sea level rise. SB 272 now requires sea level rise plans to include nature whenever possible. Wetlands and living levees are not only more resilient over time than sea walls, but they also provide valuable ecosystem services such as flood protection, clean water, clean air and carbon sequestration.1 Groundwater rise is a growing concern because emergent groundwater is anticipated along the County shoreline 2 and Green Stormwater Infrastructure is required to meet clean stormwater goals set by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Please consider adding the following language to C-L.4.2.
“C. Prioritize nature-based adaptation solutions to sea level rise and other climate impacts.”
- Estimate resources needed for timely completion of measures.
The Draft CAP does not detail the resources, such as funding and staff capacity, that are necessary to achieve the successful implementation of individual measures in the CAP. Such estimations will be valuable for policymakers in Foster City who must decide which measures to prioritize for completion and how best to accomplish them.
- Identify a specific VMT % reduction goal for measure T-L.1.
We support the intended goal of T-L.1 to “reduce vehicle miles traveled in the City”. However the target of “reduce vehicle miles traveled commuting to work” lacks a quantifiable target for this reduction. Specific targets could include a target percentage of public transit mode share, such as was identified in Cupertino’s Climate Action Plan 2.0, which identified a goal of achieving 29% of public transit mode share by 2030.3
- Add to E-W.2 a measure including permit and rebate clarification.
We are glad to see that the decarbonization of existing buildings is a prominent source of emissions reductions in the draft CAP. The success of existing building decarbonization programs and policies will depend on the City making the user experience as easy as possible for residents who wish to replace their gas appliances with electric appliances. Please consider introducing a new bullet point to measure E-W.2 that reads as follows.
“G. Study approaches to clarify the permit and rebate processes for residents seeking to electrify their buildings.”
- Consider including these recommended resources.
We hope you consider including the following resources into the Draft CAP:- Redwood Energy’s Watt Diet Calculator4, which can help some residents electrify their homes without needing to perform a panel upgrade.
- Model Reach Code recommendations from BayAreaReachCodes.org for EV and building electrification codes, prepared in part by Peninsula Clean Energy.5
Thank you for this opportunity to review the Draft CAP. We are available to answer any questions you may have regarding our suggestions and look forward to collaborating with you on a robust Climate Action Plan.
Sincerely,
Gita Dev
Vice-Chair
Sierra Club Bay Alive Campaign
Dashiell Leeds,
Conservation Coordinator
Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter
1 Linked here is our Sea Level Rise Webinar, including leading experts from many agencies.
2 Shallow Groundwater Response to Sea-Level Rise: Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties, Pathways Climate Institute and San Francisco Estuary Institute.
3 (pdf page #82) https://www.cupertino.org/home/showpublisheddocument/31683/637964240923930000