To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Steve Potter, City Manager
Prepared By: Deborah Elliott, Management Analyst II
TITLE:
Title
Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan Update and Discussion
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Receive a presentation on the City of Napa’s progress on the Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and an update on the Countywide Climate Action Committee activities. Provide input to staff on next steps.
Body
DISCUSSION:
Climate Action Committee (CAC)
The CAC meets monthly as a collaborative framework to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and limit future adverse impacts of climate change. Over the past 6 months, the CAC has focused on developing the Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP) that would prioritize climate action projects for the region and the City of Napa. All items discussed at the CAC meetings must be brought to Council for adoption or approval.
Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP)
Local jurisdictions within Napa County including the Cities of American Canyon, Calistoga, Napa, and St. Helena, the Town of Yountville, and Napa County have come together to develop a Napa County Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP), and the public draft was released on August 1, 2025. The RCAAP can be found on the project webpage <www.climateactionnapa.konveio.com>. Public input and comments are invited during the 60-day public review period from August 1 to September 30, 2025. The RCAAP is a roadmap that identifies strategies, measures, and actions that guide the region to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. Shaped by input from residents, businesses, and community organizations across all six jurisdictions, it supports a more sustainable and resilient Napa County and requires coordinated action across the county. The RCAAP reflects solutions that are representative of the unique environmental, economic, and social characteristics of the county.
Community engagement ensures that the plan reflects the needs, priorities, and values of the people it serves. In 2024, public outreach and community engagement efforts resulted in responses and input from 310 individuals to an introductory survey which helped to gain a better understanding of how residents feel about climate change and how it affects their daily lives. Four community meetings were held in the summer of 2024 to identify existing conditions and key areas of concern for participants. Furthermore, 20 community based organizations (CBOs) partnered with the project team to hold focus group meetings to explore the needs of the community. Three community meetings were held on the draft RCAAP in August 2025.
Through the RCAAP, Napa County Jurisdictions have set countywide GHG emissions reduction targets for 2030, 2035, and 2045, which are aligned with the State of California’s goals. They include: 42 percent reduction below 2019 levels by 2030, 57 percent reduction below 2019 levels by 2035, and 85 percent reduction below 2019 levels by 2045. Climate action and sustainability are a priority for the City. The City declared a Climate Emergency on April 5, 2022. The Climate Emergency Resolution guides the city's actions to address the climate crisis. The Climate Emergency Resolution states; “The scientific evidence indicates that an urgent global climate mobilization effort to reverse global warming is needed as quickly as possible towards net zero climate pollutants from public and private operations within the City by 2030.”
While legislative and regulatory actions at the regional, State, and federal levels will result in notable GHG emissions reductions on their own, additional efforts need to be taken locally by Napa County jurisdictions to fully achieve the established targets. These additional efforts come in the form of 46 distinct GHG reduction measures that were prepared for this RCAAP. Across the six emissions sectors (Building Energy, On-Road Transportation, Solid Waste, Water and Wastewater, Agriculture, and Off-Road Equipment), 21 different GHG reduction strategies are supported by 46 measures and 107 actions. The GHG reduction measures reduce emissions from human activities (e.g., building energy use and transportation), and enhance carbon storage (e.g., carbon farming and restoring wildfire-affected areas).
Although 46 GHG reduction measures are included in the RCAAP, a few specific measures are projected to account for the vast majority of reductions from human-caused emissions by 2045. These include: • BE-1: Retrofit Existing Buildings to Zero Carbon • TR-9: Expand Renewable Diesel Availability • AG-1: Reduce Fossil Fuel Consumption in Field Equipment • SW-1: Increase Solid Waste Diversion • SW-4: Increase Landfill Methane Capture Capacity • WW-1: Reduce Methane Emissions from Wastewater Treatment Plants (BE = Building Energy; TR = On-Road Transportation; AG = Agriculture; SW = Solid Waste; WW = Imported Water & Wastewater) Altogether, the six measures account for approximately 91 percent of total emissions reductions in 2045.
Napa County jurisdictions are currently preparing an Initial Study for the RCAAP, pursuant to CEQA. Napa County will serve as lead agency for the preparation of the Initial Study, with other incorporated jurisdictions acting as responsible agencies. The Initial Study will evaluate the potential environmental effects of the proposed RCAAP and its implementation, and the County and responsible agencies will make the appropriate environmental determination following completion of the Initial Study.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
This agenda item is informational and does not result in a financial impact without future council discussion or actions.
CEQA:
The City Manager has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Staff report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060 (c).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
None.
NOTIFICATION:
None.