Climate Protection Program

Core District Initiatives

On June 1, 2005 the Air District Board of Directors adopted a resolution (99 k PDF, 3 pgs) establishing a Climate Protection Program and acknowledging the link between climate protection and programs to reduce air pollution in the Bay Area. The Board of Directors also formed a standing Committee on Climate Protection to provide direction on District climate protection activities.

A central element of the District’s climate protection program is the integration of climate protection activities into existing District programs. The District is continually seeking ways to integrates climate protection into current District functions, including grant programs, CEQA commenting, regulations, inventory development, and outreach. In addition, the District's climate protection program emphasizes collaboration with ongoing climate protection efforts at the local and State level, public education and outreach and technical assistance to cities and counties.

SF Bay Area Climate Action Web Portal

Visit the District’s Climate Action Visit the District’s Climate Action Web Portal - a central clearinghouse for Bay Area local governments to access climate action tools and resources. The District developed the climate action portal to share and facilitate implementation of climate actions. The climate portal features climate action best practices, case studies, and news and events from Bay Area local governments. The portal was developed in partnership with the Institute for Local Government.

Visit the District's Climate Action Visit the District's Climate Action Web Portal - a central clearinghouse for Bay Area local governments to access climate action tools and resources. The District developed the climate action portal to share and facilitate implementation of climate actions. The climate portal features climate action best practices, case studies, and news and events from Bay Area local governments. The portal was developed in partnership with the Institute for Local Government.

Climate portal features include:

• Explore case studies highlighting climate actions by Bay Area local governments;
• Track Bay Area cities’ and counties’ progress in climate planning;
• Learn about regional approaches to climate actions.

Help spread the word by sharing this climate portal with others! We encourage local governments’ and other related websites to link to the climate portal.  Local governments are invited to submit best practices, events, tools, resources, links, etc, for posting on the climate portal. For questions and content submissions contact Jackie Winkel.

4th and 5th Grade Curriculum

Protect Your Climate is a climate protection curriculum for 4th and 5th graders. Comprised of 16 lessons, the curriculum addresses the science of climate change and empowers students with knowledge, tools, and skills to reduce greenhouse gases in their communities, homes, and day to day lives. For assistance in implementing Protect Your Climate in schools and classrooms, contact Jim Smith.

Download the curriculum:
Climate Protection Curriculum (4 Mb PDF, 154 pgs)

GHG Regional Inventory

The District has prepared an emission inventory of greenhouse gas sources in the Bay Area. The inventory estimates direct and indirect emissions from sources within the District’s jurisdiction for the following gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. This emissions inventory estimates GHG emissions produced in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2007.

GHG Fee for Stationary Sources

On May 21, 2008, the District’s Board of Directors approved a new fee on air pollution sources (29 k PDF, 1 pg) in the region to help defray the costs associated with the District’s climate protection activities and programs, including environmental review, air pollution regulations and emissions inventory development. Industrial facilities and businesses that are currently required to submit an air quality permit to operate will have the modest fee of 4.4 cents per metric ton of greenhouse gas emissions added to their permit bill. The fee will apply to climate protection program activities related to stationary sources, for example, developing inventories.

Internal Climate Protection Efforts

The District is continuing to evaluate and implement measures to reduce electricity and fuel consumption associated with District activities.   The District is a reporting member of the California Climate Action Registry and Sustainable Silicon Valley, and conducts annual carbon footprint analysis and reporting.  BAAQMD has made a concerted effort to reduce its carbon footprint in a number of ways, including the establishment of a green fleet of vehicles, transit subsidies for District employees, composting, the creation of a Green Team and energy efficiency upgrades to District facilities.  

Past Climate Change Activities

Climate Protection Grant Program – the District awarded $3 million to fund 53 climate action projects in the Bay Area.

Climate Action Leadership Summit for Local Governments – the District hosted this with the goal of accelerating implementation of climate actions in the Bay Area.