Council Sustainability Committee Meeting - September 30, 2026

The Council Sustainability Committee (CSC) met on September 30, 2026, to review and recommend approval of the draft five-year community decarbonization plan "Climate Forward" and the 2024 community greenhouse gas emissions inventory. The committee also discussed reporting frequency for the GHG inventory and heard public comments on sustainability initiatives. Both items were approved unanimously and will be forwarded to the full City Council.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The committee unanimously approved the minutes of the previous meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 5.1 – Climate Forward Plan: Multiple members of the public spoke.
  • A representative from GFMV (Carbon Free Mountain View) expressed support for the plan and suggested adding metrics such as jobs-housing balance, vehicle miles traveled, and gasoline sales, and urged tracking the percentage of electrified appliances.
  • A resident proposed a free bike-share program accessible with a library card, leveraging existing programs at local tech companies.
  • Bob Mayo urged the city to replace municipal gas water heaters with heat pump water heaters at a rate of 10% per year to build momentum and set an example.
  • Bruce England (Wisman Station Drive) emphasized collaboration across departments and with the Chamber of Commerce, noted the loss of bike shops, and called for incentives for HOAs and rental properties for heat pump water heaters.
  • John Scarborough highlighted the importance of affordable housing and equity, especially for renters, and proposed more green streets to encourage walking and biking.
  • Silja Paymer expressed concern about overemphasis on electric vehicles and urged prioritization of mode shift, e-bike charging, and green complete streets.
• Item 5.2 – GHG Inventory: Two speakers commented.
  • Bruce Courtney urged the city to continue annual inventory reporting, noting that most other Bay Area cities do not report annually. He pointed out that 2023 data were substantially revised after initial reporting and that annual data allows for tracking refinements and recognizing large companies' zero-carbon purchases.
  • John Scarborough supported annual reporting but suggested a public dashboard to show both short-term changes and long-term trends.

Discussion Items

• 5.1 – Draft Five-Year Community Decarbonization Plan (Climate Forward):
  • Staff (Miss Lee and Rebecca Lucky) presented the plan, which includes 29 actions across four focus areas: clean buildings, clean transportation, zero waste, and ecosystem sequestration, plus integrated actions on funding and advocacy. The plan uses an adaptive planning approach, adjusting to changing state/regional policies (e.g., air district rules, REACH codes). Key discussion points:
    • Committee member Hicks asked about incentives, noting that local incentives have been cut. Staff reported new state and private incentives (e.g., from Rewiring America and Google) and highlighted the city's multifamily EV charger incentive that was fully reserved quickly.
    • Committee member Schoalter inquired about the municipal decarbonization plan, which is separate and will come to the committee in early 2027.
    • Discussion on time-of-sale energy evaluations: staff noted that their impact depends on regional rules; if air district rules are delayed, local policies become more valuable.
    • Members emphasized the importance of collaboration across departments, measuring success with clear metrics, and incorporating public input from letters (e.g., walkability policy, additional actions).
    • Committee expressed strong support for the plan's adaptive approach and recommended it to council with incorporation of public comments and letters.
• 5.2 – 2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory:
  • Staff presented the inventory, showing that 2023-2024 average emissions were 33% below the 2015-2019 baseline. Transportation accounts for 61% of emissions, natural gas 21%. On-road transportation emissions declined 37% from baseline, energy emissions declined 68% (largely due to SVCE clean power). Staff asked the committee to accept the inventory and direct staff to explore adjusting the reporting frequency for the inventory.
  • Committee discussion: Members noted the value of annual data but considered balancing reporting frequency with other climate indicators. They agreed to accept the inventory and direct staff to explore options, including reporting frequency that provides actionable data for policy decisions, and to return to CSC in spring 2027 with the 2025 inventory and analysis.

Key Outcomes

• Motion on Climate Forward Plan: Approved unanimously to accept the draft plan with direction to incorporate committee and public comments, and to recommend its adoption to the City Council.
• Motion on GHG Inventory: Approved unanimously to recommend that the City Council accept the 2024 community greenhouse gas emissions inventory, and to direct staff to explore adjusting the reporting frequency for future inventories, considering public access, council needs, and policy decision-making. Staff will report back in spring 2027.

Committee Staff Comments

• Chair Schoalter raised the topic of gas-powered leaf blowers. Staff reported on existing efforts: state ban on sale of new gas leaf blowers, a tool lending library at the Day Worker Center, outreach to landscapers, and support for city departments' transition. The committee discussed potential additional outreach (e.g., articles in city newsletters) but did not propose a local use ban. They noted the environmental justice aspects and encouraged hiring from the Day Worker Center.
• Staff announced the next CSC meeting on October 14, 2026, which will be a daytime session in a different location to discuss sea level rise and El Niño preparations.