San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed issued the following statement on Earth Day:
“As San Franciscans, we have much to celebrate this Earth Day. For decades we have led the way on local climate action, sustainability, and environmental justice. Almost 30 years ago, we became the first in the nation to mandate our now-thriving composting program. Today, the City collects more than 500 tons per day from the green bin. In 2016, we launched our clean public power program, CleanPowerSF, now serving over 380,000 residents and businesses with renewable energy.
These groundbreaking policies have led to transformative results. As of our last major carbon emissions reporting in 2020, San Francisco had successfully reduced its carbon emissions by 48% from 1990 levels.
But leading means continuing to push. That’s why in 2021 we set out to go further. Though the United States has pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and State of California by 2045, in San Francisco we committed to become a carbon neutral by 2040.
These are more than bold goals. San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan is our City’s roadmap to success, encompassing 174 strategies to achieving carbon neutrality. These strategies were designed with social and racial equity in mind to ensure all of our residents are uplifted as we continue to make environmental progress. That means more housing, and reliable public transit. It means clean air and equal access to nature. It means growing our green workforce and economy as we transition away from fossil fuels. Even as we face fiscal challenges ahead, I remain committed to this work. Environmental investments go hand-in-hand with the solutions to address many of our City’s challenges.
That work will never stop, but each and every one of us have a role in confronting the climate crisis. Just like San Francisco is emerging as the world’s leader in AI technology, the City is already an epicenter for climate tech. The solutions for a more resilient, carbon-free future are being developed from right here at home.
As we celebrate Earth Day and the kickoff to our second annual SF Climate Week, I welcome everyone to take part in the many volunteering opportunities, collaborations, and discussions occurring this week as we collectively build a more resilient future.”
To learn more about opportunities to get involved this Earth Day and SF Climate Week please visit sfclimateweek.org.
###