City organizes updates and workshop on climate protection

The City of Alameda hosted a public workshop and open house on its Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP), Local Hazard Reduction Plan (LHMP), and Zero Waste Implementation Plan (ZWIP) on Tuesday evening, June 25, at the Main Library.

Young and old filled the room, quietly milling around to find a seat before the 6:15 a.m. presentation. After everyone took their seats, some with notepads on their laps and pens in hand, Danielle Mieler, Sustainability and Resilience Manager, welcomed participants.

Updates to the Climate Action and Resilience Plan

Eric Yukovich, principal at Raimi + Associates, led the CARP portion of the presentation. Alameda’s plan calls for reducing emissions 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral as quickly as possible. The plan also focuses on climate change adaptation, seeking to address flooding, sea level and groundwater rise, drought, extreme heat, hazardous air quality, and earthquakes/liquefaction.

One of the updates discussed was revising the plan’s vision. The vision statement previously read: “Alameda will be an innovative leader in achieving net-zero carbon emissions and community resilience as quickly as possible, and serve as an example that inspires similarly impacted cities to do the same. Members of our community will be an important part of this ongoing process.”

The new CARP vision states: “Alameda is an innovative leader in achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045 and building community resilience to climate change in a way that reduces inequities and environmental injustices faced by vulnerable communities. Our residents, businesses, community-based organizations and regional partners are an essential part of this ongoing effort.”

The CARP team also reframed its goals to include carbon neutrality, community resilience, community education and activation, and city leadership. New strategies to reduce greenhouse gases include expanding land use and transportation development, parking management, public transit, micromobility, zero-waste goods and services, and, within municipal operations, organization, training, monitoring and reporting, facilities and buildings, and mobility management.

Updates to the local hazard mitigation plan

Kris May, CEO and founder of the Climate Pathways Institute, spoke about Alameda’s LHMP. She explained that the plan is the city’s strategy for mitigating natural hazards and adapting to climate change. The LHMP includes two short-term projects: Bay Farm Island/Veterans Court and the Oakland Alameda Estuary Projects. Currently, the team is working on the climate science and analysis portion of the projects, which includes developing the vision, goals and planning principles, analyzing existing conditions, and studying composite flood hazards (coastal, stormwater, groundwater).

The next step in summer 2024 is alternatives development, which involves gathering input on preliminary alternatives and exploring short-term ideas. In fall 2024, projects will move to the Early Project Adaptation Concept phase, which includes advancing the Oakland Alameda Estuary project from preliminary alternatives to a preferred scheme. Finally, in spring 2025, the Project Synthesis and Adaptation Pathways step will follow, which includes advancing Bay Farm Island from preliminary alternatives to a preferred adaptation concept. In addition, long-term adaptation pathways will be developed as part of long-term adaptation.

Then there is the Oakland-Alameda Adaptation Committee (OAAC), which works on long-term adaptation. They are also in the climate science and analysis phase for their projects.

OAAC projects include:

Zero Waste Implementation Plan Updates

Next in the presentation, Public Works Coordinator Liz Acord addressed the city’s ZWIP. The goal of the zero waste measures is to keep 89% of materials out of the landfill through reduction, reuse, recycling and recomposition. The first ZWIP was adopted in 2010 and updated in 2018. In 2022, waste diversion was at 81%. The 2024 version of the plan now includes a recommendation for new and revised policies and measures to achieve zero waste, as well as developing a roadmap for the city to achieve its zero waste goal.

Another factor of ZWIP is community engagement. “We want your input and ideas on how we can improve zero waste efforts in Alameda,” reads one of the presentation slides. The slide listed four ways to get involved:

• Attend an upcoming community meeting (there are four meetings in July).
• Participation in a focus group discussion (two focus group discussions will take place in July).
• Participation in the ZWIP survey (published in July).
• contact (email protected) If you have any questions, please contact us directly to find out more.

Workshop participation

Following the ZWIP portion of the presentation, Sami Taylor, sustainability planner at Raimi + Associates, presented the workshop’s activity stations. The six stations focused on greenhouse gas inventory, revised vision, revised goals, revised greenhouse gas reduction strategies, the LHMP, and the ZWIP. Participants were welcome to walk around the room and participate in the discussions and activities at each of the stations. The crowd, perhaps a little shy at first, then warmed to a polite but engaged murmur, clearly passionate about the future of their city.

Kelsey Goeres is a guest author for the Alameda Post. Contact them via (email protected)Her writings are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Kelsey-Goeres.