San Francisco Targets Net-Zero Emissions by 2040
- City officials released an updated Climate Action Plan laying out steps to cut emissions and improve public health. - Plan sets a citywide net-zero greenhouse gas goal by 2040 and emphasizes household cost reductions. - The roadmap includes policies on buildings, transportation, and equity, seeking health and economic benefits (mercurynews.com).
San Francisco has set a new citywide goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 in its first Climate Action Plan update in five years. (sf.gov) Mayor Daniel Lurie released the update on April 16 and signed legislation aligning the city’s official climate goals with the new plan, which is led by the San Francisco Environment Department. (sf.gov) The plan sets an interim target of cutting emissions 61% below 1990 levels by 2030, then reaching net-zero by 2040. City materials say San Francisco has already reduced emissions 48% from 1990 levels. (sfenvironment.org) City officials organized the roadmap across seven sectors, including energy supply, building operations, transportation, circular economy, healthy ecosystems, water supply, and housing and land use. (sfenvironment.org) Buildings and transportation are central because the plan calls for about 18,000 buildings to be decarbonized by 2030, a 25% cut in vehicle miles traveled from 2019 levels by 2030, and all cars and small trucks in San Francisco to be zero-emission by 2040. (sfenvironment.org) The housing section ties climate policy to the city’s state-mandated housing growth, calling for planning for 82,000 new homes by 2030, including at least 36,000 in well-resourced neighborhoods, with an emphasis on affordability and transit-oriented development. (sfenvironment.org) The update also folds in household costs and health. City Hall said the plan is designed to lower utility and transportation bills, reduce air pollution, and improve coordination across departments as San Francisco pursues the 2040 target. (sf.gov) San Francisco’s 2021 Climate Action Plan had aimed for net-zero by 2050. The new update moves that deadline up by a decade, even as the city keeps the broader structure of a sector-by-sector roadmap. (sfenvironment.org) (sf.gov) The city is pairing the plan with a public dashboard that tracks progress toward goals such as tree planting, clean electricity, waste reduction, and vehicle electrification. The next test is whether San Francisco can turn those targets into permits, infrastructure, and budget decisions fast enough to meet 2030 benchmarks. (sfclimateplan.org)
