San Francisco Targets Net-Zero by 2040

San Francisco has updated its climate plan and now aims to cut citywide greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2040. (sf.gov) Mayor Daniel Lurie released the five-year update on April 16, 2026, and signed legislation to align the city’s official climate goals with the new plan. City officials said the roadmap is meant to cut emissions, lower household and utility costs, and improve public health. (sf.gov) The San Francisco Environment Department says the plan lays out goals, strategies, and actions across seven sectors, and nearly 20 city agencies and departments helped shape it with community groups and businesses. The city says the 2026 plan builds on the 2021 version and sets a roadmap through 2030 and beyond. (sfenvironment.org) The plan focuses on the biggest local sources of climate pollution: electricity and fuels, buildings, transportation, housing and land use, waste, water, and city coordination. On the city’s climate site, San Francisco says buildings must move off natural gas, more trips must shift to transit, walking, and biking, and new private vehicles are expected to be electric by 2040. (sfclimateplan.org) San Francisco is updating the plan after five years of tracking the 2021 version on a public dashboard and publishing progress reports on emissions and implementation. The Environment Department says climate change is already showing up locally through stronger storms, hotter days, and higher costs. (sfenvironment.org) City Hall is pairing the plan with new programs meant to make the transition more visible to residents. Lurie’s office said the city is launching an Electrify Your Home Incentive Program for CleanPowerSF customers and has also pushed a curbside electric-vehicle charging program for residents who cannot charge at home. (sf.gov) San Francisco is also framing the update as part of a longer climate push. The Environment Department said in June 2025 that the city had already cut emissions 48% from 1990 levels and had earned CDP’s top “A List” climate rating. (sfenvironment.org) Supporters say the new plan ties climate policy to affordability and health, while advocates quoted in local coverage said the city should move faster than the 2040 timetable. The next test is implementation: the Environment Department says publishing the plan is only the beginning and that progress will depend on coordination, accountability, and follow-through across city agencies. (mercurynews.com; sfenvironment.org)