How is Long Beach adapting to climate change? Their 402-page plan has a few suggestions.

Long Beach is adapting to climate change and they have a 402-page plan to prove it.

The Climate Action and Adaptation Plan was presented to the Long Beach City Council at their Tuesday, Jan. 5 meeting after years of work by city staff. 

The behemoth of a plan addresses a little bit of everything— sea level rise, heat vulnerability, air quality, drought, energy usage, transportation and waste management.

The plan’s primary objective: dramatically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. In an attempt to curtail some of the most dire effects of climate change, the City will enter a multi-phased approach that will, in many ways, transform the way that the City operates.

“On the reduction side, this is going to be achieved by small changes across all of society here in the City of Long Beach,” Deputy Director of Development Services Christopher Koontz said. “It’s designed not to burden any individual new business or new construction, but rather to be something that everyone contributes to in some way.”

The City has set benchmarks for some of these goals. By 2030, they want to reduce GHG emissions by 40% compared to 1990 levels. The City has set an aspirational goal of carbon neutrality by 2045. 

Though the CAAP includes a wide range of suggestions, the plan prioritizes actions that have significant impacts on the City’s overall emissions.

Currently, stationary energy and transportation are the main sources of the City’s carbon emissions, with waste being the third biggest contributor. 

Climate change is already affecting Long Beach

During the research process for the CAAP, the City carried out a Climate Vulnerability Assessment to pinpoint the main climate stressors in Long Beach.

• Extreme Heat: Extreme heat days are days that have temperatures above 95 degrees. The urban heat island effect causes areas with low levels of green space to increase in temperature. As extreme heat gets worse, it will disproportionately affect low-income communities of color in North, Central and West Long Beach due to their lack of green space.
• Sea Level Rise: Climate change will cause sea level rise and increased rainfall. Certain low-lying coastal areas will be at a greater risk from sea level rise, combined with high tides, storm events and increased rainfall.
• Drought: As the planet heats up, changes in precipitation will worsen droughts and reduce snowpack, consequently reducing access to imported water while demand for water increases.
• Air Quality: Rising temperatures and continued greenhouse gas emissions will cause the City’s air quality to worsen. Though this impact will be felt by all of Long Beach, it will particularly affect children, elderly and those with respiratory issues. Residents near industrial areas and highways, which are typically nearby low-income communities, will feel these impacts more. 

Counting on Southern California Edison

The biggest way that the City can reduce its carbon emissions is by relying on Long Beach’s energy provider, Southern California Edison, to keep good on its promise to provide 80% carbon-free energy by 2030. 

Currently, residents can opt-in to 100% renewable energy from Edison, though few make that choice. The City hopes that, by 2030, 10% of residents will voluntarily participate in this program.

This transition will by far have the greatest impact on the City’s emissions, netting them a potential reduction of 188,960 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

As oil fields are depleted, Long Beach racks in more reductions

The plan anticipates a 20% reduction in oil production compared to 2018, both by the City of Long Beach and commercial oil drillers.

The City has long been reliant on revenue from these fields. The shift will be challenging, especially given that the adaptation plan comes with a hefty price tag.

“We have to […] dig in more on how we really reduce our fossil fuel consumption and how we really transition away from an oil economy that has been, for many years, very beneficial from a revenue perspective,” Mayor Robert Garcia said. 

“We depend a lot, of course, on oil, but it’s also damaging our communities. It damages the planet and it damages our long term ability to be sustainable.”

The move away from oil production is expected to net a reduction of 41,740 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Diverting paper and green waste from landfills

The City plans to develop an organic waste collection program for City-served accounts, as well as partner with private waste haulers to expand organic waste collection. 

If achieved, diverting paper and cardboard from landfills would reduce emissions by 45,340 metric tons of carbon. Diverting green waste would net an estimated reduction of 39,730 metric tons of carbon emissions.

Future steps: funding and final approval

Now that the council has given its initial approval, city staff can begin to seek grant funding to offset the costs of the plan.

Councilmember Suzie Price described the funding gap as “enormous” and encouraged city staff to look towards state and federal grant opportunities to help fund the CAAP.

Though the council unanimously confirmed the plan, there is still much to be done. Staff must prepare an Environmental Impact Report to be certified by the council. Final adoption of the CAAP is expected in fall of this year. 

The next Long Beach City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 4 p.m. via teleconference.