The County is an award-winning leader in greenhouse gas reduction and climate resilience. We create policies and partnerships for the health and future of our community.
What is Climate Action?
Climate action is a world-wide effort to prevent climate change by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. GHG reductions are a major focus of the County’s Climate Action Plan for Government Services and Operations Through 2026.
Now that we are seeing firsthand the effects of climate change on our communities, we have added climate resilience to our climate action response.
Climate Resilience: Learn more about how we are preparing for and adapting to climate-related impacts to better support the communities we serve.
Committed to Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Climate change affects us all, posing risks to the health and safety of our communities. But we can make a difference.
Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. At GSA, we are at work every day to reduce the County’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Through partnerships with other governments, businesses and residents, we’re helping to protect the future of our planet.
Goals
The State of California, a global leader in climate action, sets statewide targets for emissions reductions. Our own Board of Supervisors also promotes climate action through countywide policies, ordinances and resolutions that set specific climate-action goals. Here’s what we’re working toward:
- We’re working to meet our own Board of Supervisors’ commitment to reduce emissions 80% by 2050
- We’re prepared to take bold steps to reach California’s 2045 carbon neutrality goal
Big reductions require big commitments, including a reduction in the fossil fuels we burn in County vehicles and in the electricity used to power County buildings.
In the past decade, we have increased the share of renewable solar power being produced by the County to nearly 16% of our electricity needs — and the rest is 100% carbon-free.
Go to our Sustainability website to read more about our carbon footprint and our emissions inventory.
Policies
Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors provides climate leadership through countywide policies, ordinances and resolutions that set climate action goals and specify actions to meet those goals.
Significant climate action policies include:
- Climate Action Plan for Government Services and Operations Through 2026 Resolution (Adopted 2023)
The Alameda County Climate Action Plan for Government Services and Operations Through 2026 outlines a comprehensive strategy to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from County operations and build community resilience to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. - Climate Emergency Declaration (Adopted 2019)
Alameda County declared a climate emergency and reaffirmed our commitment to emission reductions from our own operations and regional collaboration for a just transition to a carbon-free economy. - Go to our Sustainability website to read more about our climate protection policies.
Progress
As of 2019, we have reduced emissions by nearly 30% from our 2003 baseline, meeting the goal of our 2010-2020 Climate Action Plan for Government Services and Operations.
We’ve achieved our targets through actions in building, energy, purchasing, transportation and waste.
Over the past 10 years, the County received over 80 awards recognizing our work on climate action, with hundreds of County employees involved as climate action leaders.
Contact Us
We’d love to hear from you. Find our sustainability efforts on social media or send us a message.