California Climate & Energy Collaborative

Return to Database
Priority Area: Climate Action
Barrier: Planning Capacity

Challenge/Local/State

Description

State Solution
(Type of Activity: Program Implementation and Outreach )

State-funded, regionally delivered technical assistance and staffing support—through LCI, SGC, COGs, RENs, and partners—that provides sustained training, templates, shared staff positions, and grant-embedded capacity funding to reduce reliance on consultants and enable implementation.

Existing Examples of Progress: 1. To further support climate action planning, CARB has collected anecdotal information on challenges when gathering GHG inventories and has initiated research contracts aimed at developing tools, best practices, and capacity building. This includes a contract with Dr. Boswell at Cal Poly to: Gather representative sample from recent CAPs with inventories to develop questions that would be helpful in identifying the challenge, and interview local jurisdictions. Evaluate identified tools that can be helpful to jurisdictions when creating CAPs and/or inventories, to better recommend to jurisdictions which tools will benefit them. 2. California is actively engaging with providers of local GHG inventory tools, serving on expert advisory committees for the UC Berkeley/StopWaste GHG inventory tool and collaborating with Sidewalk Labs. 3. In December 2025, CARB released its new Planning and Capacity Building Grants for sustainable transportation, which are intended to set the stage for implementation grants.
Further Progress Pathways: 1. A recently formed Technical Advisory Group through CARB and the Governor's Office for Land Use and Climate Innovation supporting local CAPs. The Climate Action Planning Technical Advisory Group, formed during the update of the General Plan Guidelines for LCI, has reviewed CAP literature, inventory development, and integration with general plans. They aim to provide guidance on CAP creation vs. updates, clarify their mission, and outline state priorities to help cities take effective action. 2. CARB's CA Climate Investment Initiative Investment Plan: This three year plan serves to guide investment of Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds. The Fifth Investment Plan for 25-26 through 27-28 will not be moving forward due to change in the underlying statutory requirement. It is unclear how stakeholders can similarly participate in guiding how funding will be allocated through the reauthorized Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund through Cap-and-Invest proceeds.
Region: San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Inland Deserts, San Diego, Statewide

Do you have any feedback on this item?

If you have examples of examples and best practices, some pathways for progress on these issues or feedback or additional details on the item please let us know so that we can add to our knowledge base!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fill out this field
Fill out this field
Please enter a valid email address.