California’s leaders were named as 3 of the nation’s 16 Climate Action Champions.“The selected communities will benefit from facilitated peer-to-peer learning opportunities and targeted support from a range of federal programs, including technical assistance from renewable energy experts, accessible climate data and tools, and opportunities for tailored emergency preparedness exercises,” John Podesta, a counselor to President Obama, wrote in a White House blog post. The leaders are shared below: read more on Government Executive here.
- Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe (CA): The Blue Lake Rancheria, a Federally recognized tribal government, began its strategic climate action plan in 2008 and is a regional leader in strategically planning and implementing both climate resiliency and greenhouse gas reduction measures. To date, the Tribe has reduced energy consumption by 35 percent and has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2018, utilizing a range of approaches including the use of biodiesel to power public buses and aggressive energy efficiency measures.
- San Francisco (CA): The city of San Francisco has established some of the most aggressive climate and sustainability targets in the nation, covering a broad range of sectors, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation, water, green infrastructure, and waste. With robust goals to measure progress, San Francisco aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2017, and 40 percent by 2025.
- Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority (CA): The Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) is the nation’s first local government agency created specifically to address climate change. The RCPA has committed to pursue a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels through formal partnerships, pooling resources (financial and human), and working across silos.