On December 15, 2015, we made history.

San Diego City Council voted to approve a precedent-setting climate action plan with strong social equity requirements. This plan aims to create a healthier future for San Diegans by reducing pollution, bringing more clean energy, increasing transit, walking and biking opportunities.

We joined nearly 1,000 San Diegans and fifteen organizations to tell City Council to begin in communities hit first and worst by climate change – and they listened.

Today, San Diego is the first city in California to adopt a climate action plan that utilizes a statewide monitoring tool called CalEnviroScreen. The tool identifies communities overburdened by multiple sources of pollution and will be used to direct investment and benefits to our neighborhoods.

“The impacts of a changing climate are most detrimental in neighborhoods such as Barrio Logan, City Heights, Sherman Heights, Logan Heights, San Ysidro and Southeastern San Diego that suffer from damaging air quality, burdensome energy bills and inaccessible public transit,” says Associate Director Georgette Gómez. “We applaud Council for this decision that makes San Diego the first city in California to adopt a climate action plan with CalEnviroScreen at its core and a commitment to implement the plan in communities where its impact is highest.”

EHC hopes this decision will inspire other cities in California to adopt climate action plans that utilizes CalEnviroScreen and to advocate for strong action on climate that prioritizes communities impacted with high levels of pollution in the face of climate change.

We also thank you. Thank you for your commitment to #healthyhoods and your dedication to building our communities into the thriving places we know they can be.