How San Diego County Is Fighting Climate Change This October

San Diego is stepping up its climate action this October with two ambitious plans aiming to reduce climate change and its impacts.

According to the Del Mar Times, the county has been fighting lawsuits challenging its old climate action plan for years. Now the Board of Supervisors will create a new one that will address greenhouse gas reductions and climate adaptation in the unincorporated areas after a vote in July.

The new climate action plan will be legally enforceable and doesn't allow the use of carbon offset credits, which allows developers to pay for releasing excessive climate pollutants instead of forcing them to reduce them.

According to supervisors, the county's new plan must have clear goals and measurable steps to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2035.

The draft will be released at the end of October, according to the Del Mar Times.

In August, county planners held a virtual brainstorm session.

Participants asked for an increase in urban forestry, building more parks, and preserving natural wildlife habitat.

In addition to the new climate action plan, the county is also partnering with cities, school districts, and academic experts to create a plan that will focus only on the unincorporated regions.

“It will focus on overall carbon emissions,” said Murtaza Baxamusa, the county's program manager for regional sustainability. “This has not been done for a county region before.”