The ambitious initiative aims to achieve a carbon-negative footprint in the next five years
By OLIVIA HOKR — city@theaggie.org
On Dec. 3, 2024, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the 2030 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). CAAP was built on Yolo County’s previous climate action initiatives, including the 2011 Climate Action Plan and the 2020 Climate Emergency Declaration. The CAAP is a revised, comprehensive plan with an emphasis on both climate mitigation as well as climate adaptation.
The 2020 Climate Emergency Declaration brought awareness to the effects of climate change in the area, including the increase of wildfires and extreme weather events and the impact it has been having on the community. In a press release, Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs expressed the urgency of climate action.
“Yolo County is already experiencing impacts from the changing climate, and we know we need to take immediate action to reduce our emissions and protect our residents,” the press release reads. “This plan reflects the County’s unwavering dedication to equity and advancing solutions that will build a more resilient, sustainable community for generations to come.”
With the most ambitious goals of any local government in the United States, the CAAP places Yolo County in the spotlight of climate action, according to the press release. However, this plan does not solely target reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting Yolo County’s natural agricultural resources. It also pays special attention to helping the community adapt to the changing environment. The Sustainability Division’s CAAP webpage of the Yolo County website defines their areas of focus for community members.
“The CAAP aims to empower historically disadvantaged communities, create social and economic opportunities, and protect the most vulnerable populations from climate change while ensuring they play a central role in decision-making and can fully benefit from the plan’s outcomes,” the webpage reads.
By focusing on both the planet and the people, part of the CAAP works to ensure a just transition. This refers to a unifying set of principles and processes that will empower the society, the economy and the well-being of vulnerable and disadvantaged populations.
“This transition balances the urgency of necessary changes with the commitment to sustainable and just realignments,” the CAAP webpage reads. “This transition incorporates the perspectives of all individuals and groups, particularly marginalized groups, to ensure that climate solutions meet the needs of the community at large. A Just Transition strikes a balance between the speed of necessary changes while still promoting necessary, sustainable, and just realignments.”
To effectively execute programs that will result in negative carbon emissions and support community members, the CAAP outlines three main components: strategies, measures and actions. The strategies are the highest-level implementation piece. There are 10 in total, including decarbonizing transportation, optimizing water use, minimizing waste and supporting climate-smart agriculture.
Beginning in the spring of 2025, a CAAP progress tracker will be available for the public to stay up to date on implementation programs and actions. An E-Newsletter is available for residents to join and receive progress updates as well. The complete Climate Action and Adaptation Plan is publicly accessible on the Yolo County Sustainability Division’s webpage for those further interested in the background, strategies, funding or implementation of the project.
Written by: Olivia Hokr — city@theaggie.org
