Bottom Line: The Climate crisis threatens the health and safety of every Californian. Our state should declare a climate emergency and aim for net-zero emissions by 2035. We must ensure communities impacted in the fossil fuel free transition are supported with economic and social justice. Every Californian deserves a good job with a family sustaining wage and benefits in our new, green economy. Green New Deal jobs will be prioritized for the economically marginalized and people of color.

Support of a California Green New Deal as a part of a statewide climate action plan includes the following:

Extraction: Stop all new fossil fuel permits and drop existing fossil fuel production. Begin the end of fossil fuel extraction with 2,500ft setback limits to create a buffer zone between dirty energy and frontline communities. Tax fossil fuels extracted from California until production is phased out. Ban fracking immediately.

Green jobs and just transition: Join with workers from fossil fuel and other industries that are shifting, and cocreate future high quality jobs by investing in mass scale electrification of residential and commercial properties and industry, carbon sequestration in agriculture and forestry, and other sectors.

Climate Impact Report: Require every new bill passed at the state level to carry out a climate impact assessment report.

Transportation: Free public transportation across the state of California to encourage transit ridership, lift smog from cities, and alleviate financial burden on the working class. Support mass transit construction including commuter and long-distance rail. Offer subsidies for electric vehicles and build more charging systems along our highways and interstate freeways.

Utilities: Public control of private utilities. End the greed and corner-cutting that sparks wildfires and puts profit over people’s lives.

Community gardens and land trusts: Sustainable and regenerative agriculture is essential to meeting climate crisis goals. Support of publicly controlled and owned food systems to grow access to nutrition in food deserts.

Research and development: Investment in clean energy storage technology. Clean wind and solar power needs to be captured, stored, and pumped out in the grid even when not in active production. We need state investment in energy storage to reach 100% clean energy by 2030.

Divestment: State divestment from all industries connected to the fossil fuel industry.

Adaption: Climate change is already here. San Diego is especially vulnerable to sea level rise, drought, wildfire, and high heat. Support of projects to protect our communities from a rapidly changing climate and ensure frontline communities are prioritized in any efforts.

Vehicle mile reduction: Incentivize telecommuting, provide at least one year of paid family leave, desegregate housing by income, and protect small local businesses to reduce the distance workers and consumers travel.

In addition, all federal COVID-19 relief dollars must be used to stimulate a green and clean economy.