On October 28th, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) conducted a public hearing to consider approval of the Mobile Source Strategy. For those who don’t know, the Mobile Source Strategy is an integrated scenario planning effort that identifies strategies to reduce emissions from mobile sources to meet climate and equity goals.

We see the Mobile Source Strategy as an opportunity to advocate for the importance of vehicle miles traveled reduction to the entire board. This blog is a recap of that meeting and ClimatePlan’s comments. This blog also provides next steps as the mobile source strategy has been sent to the legislature. The short of it is, the ClimatePlan network can step up to advocate for reducing vehicle miles traveled, especially in ways that provide access to resources and reduce air pollution for environmental justice communities.

Clean Air Day is next week and we as an organization, and staff are making our commitments now. Read more about our commitments and take the pledge with us! The link is here.

SB 1 workshops are starting up again beginning Tuesday, September 21, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Some partners in this network have long contributed to the advocacy around SB 1, and know the drill. Joining these workshops is vital for reinforcing and holding the California Transportation Commission (CTC) accountable to shifting transportation funding. Money needs to go to projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address inequities in mobility as required by the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI). 

However, this year the workshops are less accessible, and it will be harder to ensure there are shifts in transportation funding. For this reason, the Road Repair and Accountability Act is not living up to its name. The CTC needs to create more ways for stakeholders to engage in the discussion. We are encouraging folks to advocate for this as well. 

The California Transportation Commission has adopted the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI), but there is more to be done. Building off the momentum that advocates (including ClimatePlan and our network) and agency staff created, ClimatePlan is announcing our workgroup! Read more below for background on CAPTI, its importance, and how to get involved. 

We recently sat down with Will Barrett, Senior Director of Clean Air Advocacy at the American Lung Association in California. We wanted to hear more about the 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan, led by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Below are some of Will’s thoughts on the Plan and how advocates can work on the plan collectively. 

Can you give us a general overview of what’s happening with CARB’s 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan? 

In June 2021, CARB kicked off the 2022 Scoping Plan process that happens every 5 years. This planning process intends to track the progress of reaching our state’s climate standards and evaluate the suite of policies that can help us reach them.

Who is involved in the Scoping Plan process and what is the timeline for these initiatives? 

The Scoping Plan process is a multi-agency undertaking, touching all sectors of the economy. So, everything from transportation, energy, natural and working lands, agriculture, and industry falls within the purview of the plan. Many agencies and stakeholders participated in the discussion during the kickoff workshops this past June.

CARB is hosting regular public meetings and ongoing workshops focused on different elements of the Scoping Plan. CARB will take input from a variety of sources and stakeholders, including the Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. This feedback will then inform the development of the draft Scoping Plan. CARB will release the final draft in Spring 2022.