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Climate Smart San José: 2025 Update

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In 2018, San José City Council approved the Climate Smart San José plan (Climate Smart). Since then, significant changes have occurred. To stay aligned with the latest climate science, updated data, and adopted City policies, the City is now revising Climate Smart to better reflect its climate goals. This update will ensure the plan remains effective, forward-looking, and impactful, guiding the City’s continued efforts to reduce emissions and support climate action.

Your input is essential in shaping this plan. As we update Climate Smart, we’re working to ensure that diverse community perspectives help inform the strategies that guide our city’s climate future.
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Summary

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Welcome to the Draft of the Climate Smart 2025 Update!

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Cover Page

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Contents

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Introduction

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Climate Smart San José Update

  • Our Progress
  • Understanding Our Challenge
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Pillars and Strategies

  • Pillar 1: A Sustainable & Climate Smart City
  • Pillar 2: A Vibrant City of Connected and Focused Growth
  • Pillar 3: An Economically Inclusive City of Opportunity
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Getting It Done

  • Implementation of the Plan
  • Funding of the Plan
  • City Action Plan
  • Topics for Future Consideration
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Appendices

  • Appendix A
  • Appendix B
  • Appendix C
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in reply to Mani Bekele's comment

AnneBalis Sep 4 2025 at 12:23PM on page 10

Resolution
2018 was the first year that SJCE was operational, although in a limited capacity. Beginning in September 2018, SJCE only served a small number of municipal buildings, therefore there wasn't a need to procure a large amount of power and the power demand was able to be met with 100% carbon free energy. Because of this, 2018 data should not be used as an indicator of progress.

We've revised the baseline data in the Update to reflect the original values in the Climate Smart plan, which were reflective of the 2017 calendar year. Because of this, we've revised SJCE energy values to N/A.
in reply to Mani Bekele's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:24PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for your observation. We agree that many of the updated goals, particularly in Natural and Working Lands (NWL), are ambitious. This update is an administrative update to the 2018 Climate Smart Plan, so it focuses on aligning our metrics and milestones with the City’s carbon neutrality by 2030 commitment.

Because of this, the document does not include the specific policies or actions needed to meet these ambitious targets. Instead, we are transitioning to annual departmental work plans that will provide the detail on specific programs, policies, and investments needed to achieve progress. These work plans are designed to connect goals with near-term actions, funding opportunities, and tracking mechanisms.

Ambition is intentional: the goals illustrate what must be achieved to reach carbon neutrality, but we recognize they will require significant policy support, funding, and community adoption to realize.
in reply to Daphne's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:23PM on page 7

Resolution
The solid black line indicates our current forecast. We are working on edits to highlight this trend line.
in reply to Daphne's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:23PM on page 19

Resolution
Thank you for this thoughtful suggestion. The City has supported drought-tolerant landscaping in several ways over the years. Previously, we partnered with Valley Water and Our City Forest on the Lawn Busters program, which helped residents convert turf lawns to drought-tolerant, native gardens. More recently, through our Zero Emissions Neighborhood (ZEN) Project, we’ve incorporated drought-tolerant and native plantings in the Santee pilot neighborhood as part of broader urban greening and resilience efforts. In addition, the Environmental Services Department continues to promote drought-tolerant landscaping through demonstration gardens, which you can learn more about here: link.

We have also seen notable reductions in citywide water use, reflecting both these efforts and community participation. While this administrative update to Climate Smart is focused on the strategies with the greatest greenhouse gas reduction potential (clean energy, clean transportation, reducing vehicle miles traveled, and building electrification), we recognize that drought-tolerant landscaping continues to provide important co-benefits for conservation, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Your feedback has been noted and will be shared with relevant partners for future program opportunities.
in reply to Steven P 's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:22PM on page 1

Resolution
Yes, this plan only applies to the City of San Jose and its residents.
in reply to Steven P 's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:22PM on page 7

Resolution
Thank you for your question. There is always a lag in greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory data, since it takes time to collect, verify, and analyze information across sectors. Our most recent completed inventory is for 2023, which was finalized earlier this year. Data for 2024 is not yet fully available.

Most of the Climate Smart plan update incorporates data from the 2023 inventory. However, because of timing, we were not able to update the wedge diagram at the beginning of the plan with that inventory cycle. We are working to incorporate the updated 2023 results into the underlying model.

For the most up-to-date GHG inventories and tracking metrics, please visit the Climate Smart Data Dashboard, where new data will continue to be published as it becomes available. (link)
in reply to Steven P 's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:21PM on page 7

Resolution
Thank you for this thoughtful question. The original 2018 Climate Smart San José Plan included a cost/benefit analysis and identified potential funding sources to support implementation. That work laid the foundation for understanding the scale of resources required and the range of options to pay for them.

In this administrative update, we are not redoing that cost/benefit analysis, but we are proposing a new tool: annual departmental work plans. These work plans will allow each department to estimate the costs and benefits of specific programs and policies on a yearly basis, better linking climate action to planning, budgeting, and funding opportunities.

It’s important to note that no single entity is solely responsible for funding or implementing Climate Smart. Achieving our carbon neutrality goals is a shared effort across multiple levels:

- City Council and the Budget Office provide guidance and allocate resources.

- City departments integrate climate action into their projects and programs.

- External partners and grant funding provide critical support, especially for large infrastructure investments.

- The community—residents, businesses, and organizations—adopt solutions that drive real-world emissions reductions.

In short, Climate Smart relies on a combination of City investments, external funding, and community action. This distributed approach helps ensure resilience and adaptability, even as leadership and priorities evolve.
in reply to Steven P 's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:20PM on page 10

Resolution
Thank you for this comment. You are correct that recent years have brought wetter conditions in San José, including higher rainfall in 2024 and 2025. However, one or two wet years do not erase the historic drought that has affected California and the broader western United States over the past decade.

Experts at the state and regional level agree that California continues to experience drought conditions in the long-term, driven by a hotter, drier climate. According to California Water Watch and the City’s own Vulnerability Assessment, hotter average temperatures mean that more rainfall is absorbed into dry soils, consumed by plants, or lost to evaporation—leaving less water available for our needs. Projections show that dry spells between precipitation events are expected to increase in the coming decades, and the state estimates a loss of about 10% of water supplies over the next 20 years.

The purpose of the “Our Leadership to Date” section is to reflect San José’s long-standing leadership in water conservation and our ongoing need to prepare for a hotter, drier future. While short-term conditions may fluctuate, climate change makes droughts more frequent and more severe over the long term. This reality underlines why water conservation and efficiency remain central to Climate Smart San José.
in reply to Steven P 's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:19PM on page 14

Resolution
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Since 2018, the City has secured over $80 million in external funding to support Climate Smart initiatives. These funds have been invested in a wide range of projects, including:

Infrastructure investments such as building energy efficiency improvements, EV charging infrastructure, and active transportation (biking and walking) facilities.

Community engagement and outreach to increase awareness and adoption of climate solutions.

Incentives and rebates to help residents and businesses transition to clean energy technologies.

Policy development and planning to integrate climate goals into City operations and codes.

For transparency, the City provides semi-annual updates to City Council, which detail both the specific sources of funding received and the projects they supported. The most recent reports are available on the Climate Smart San José website: link. Past reports are also available upon request.

As for your broader question about the scale of funding needed: the City’s climate goals are ambitious by design, reflecting the urgency of reaching carbon neutrality by 2030. There is no single funding source or entity responsible for achieving these goals—it requires a joint effort across the City, regional agencies, state and federal partners, and the community. This update is an administrative update, so it does not provide a full cost breakdown; however, future annual departmental work plans will provide more clarity on the costs and benefits of programs and policies each year, and help guide funding decisions.
in reply to Steven P 's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:19PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your question. It’s important to clarify that the milestone values shown in this update are goals, not forecasts. They are not meant to predict what will happen automatically, but rather to illustrate what needs to occur in order for San José to meet its carbon neutrality by 2030 goal, as adopted by City Council.

For household natural gas use specifically, the sharp decline reflected in the 2027 and 2030 milestones represents the level of reductions needed if we are serious about achieving carbon neutrality. While natural gas use did increase slightly between 2018 and 2023, the updated goals show the scale and urgency of change required, not a guaranteed trend.

This administrative update does not detail the individual programs or policies that would deliver those reductions. Instead, the City is transitioning to annual departmental work plans, which will lay out specific programs, policies, and investments designed to help achieve these ambitious targets.
in reply to Steven P 's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:18PM on page 11

Resolution
Thank you for your question. It’s important to clarify that the milestone values shown in this update are goals, not forecasts. They are not meant to predict what will happen automatically, but rather to illustrate what needs to occur in order for San José to meet its carbon neutrality by 2030 goal, as adopted by City Council.

For household natural gas use specifically, the sharp decline reflected in the 2027 and 2030 milestones represents the level of reductions needed if we are serious about achieving carbon neutrality. While natural gas use did increase slightly between 2018 and 2023, the updated goals show the scale and urgency of change required, not a guaranteed trend.

This administrative update does not detail the individual programs or policies that would deliver those reductions. Instead, the City is transitioning to annual departmental work plans, which will lay out specific programs, policies, and investments designed to help achieve these ambitious targets.
in reply to Steven P 's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:17PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your question. It’s important to clarify that the milestone values shown in this update are goals, not forecasts. They are not meant to predict what will happen automatically, but rather to illustrate what needs to occur in order for San José to meet its carbon neutrality by 2030 goal, as adopted by City Council.

For household natural gas use specifically, the sharp decline reflected in the 2027 and 2030 milestones represents the level of reductions needed if we are serious about achieving carbon neutrality. While natural gas use did increase slightly between 2018 and 2023, the updated goals show the scale and urgency of change required, not a guaranteed trend.

This administrative update does not detail the individual programs or policies that would deliver those reductions. Instead, the City is transitioning to annual departmental work plans, which will lay out specific programs, policies, and investments designed to help achieve these ambitious targets.
in reply to Steven P 's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:16PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your question. The most recent data available is for 2023, which is why that is the value presented in the plan. Data for 2025 is not yet available—much of 2024 data is still being collected and processed—so we cannot provide a current value at this time.

The milestone shown for 2027 (54% of passenger vehicles being zero emission) is not a forecast, but rather an ambitious goal that illustrates what would need to happen in order for San José to achieve its carbon neutrality by 2030 commitment. These milestones align with the City’s adopted goals and state-level policies but do not guarantee a trend.

To get there, the City is transitioning to annual departmental work plans, which will identify and evaluate the specific programs, investments, and partnerships needed to accelerate adoption of zero emission vehicles. These plans will also allow the City to adjust course as new funding, technologies, and opportunities become available.
in reply to Steven P 's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:16PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your question. The 2027 value previously shown for commercial and industrial natural gas use was a typo and has since been corrected in the updated draft. The 2030 goal remains unchanged at zero therms to align with San José’s carbon neutrality by 2030 commitment.

It’s important to emphasize that these milestone tables reflect goals, not forecasts—they illustrate what would need to happen to meet the City’s stated carbon neutrality goal. Specific actions, timelines, and feasibility will be further detailed in departmental work plans, which are designed to identify programs, policies, and investments that support these targets while adapting to new information, funding opportunities, and community needs.
in reply to Sam Fishman's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:15PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your question. It’s important to clarify that the milestone values shown in this update are goals, not forecasts. They are not meant to predict what will happen automatically, but rather to illustrate what needs to occur in order for San José to meet its carbon neutrality by 2030 goal, as adopted by City Council.

For household natural gas use specifically, the sharp decline reflected in the 2027 and 2030 milestones represents the level of reductions needed if we are serious about achieving carbon neutrality. While natural gas use did increase slightly between 2018 and 2023, the updated goals show the scale and urgency of change required, not a guaranteed trend.

This administrative update does not detail the individual programs or policies that would deliver those reductions. Instead, the City is transitioning to annual departmental work plans, which will lay out specific programs, policies, and investments designed to help achieve these ambitious targets.
in reply to Sam Fishman's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:14PM on page 20

Resolution
We do not currently plan on developing an additional update to Electrify San Jose but rather are incorporating some of those strategies and concepts into this Update. For clarification, the rulings will not immediately require residents to buy zero-NOx equipment but will only require this upon replacement of old equipment.
in reply to Wendy Chou's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:13PM on page 12

Resolution
Thank you for this thoughtful comment. We agree that increasing transit ridership is critical to reducing emissions, and we recognize that cities like Paris and London achieve higher shares of trips by public transit. However, those cities benefit from very different conditions—much higher urban density, different land use patterns, and heavily resourced, centrally managed transit systems.

San José’s goals were developed in close collaboration with the Department of Transportation and the Planning, Building & Code Enforcement Department to reflect our local context, including our current population density, existing infrastructure, and the fact that transit service here is managed by external agencies such as VTA and Caltrans, rather than the City itself. This means implementation requires coordination across multiple jurisdictions.

Even so, our goals are intentionally ambitious for San José and designed to reflect both what is feasible and what is needed to move us toward carbon neutrality. We will continue to work closely with our partners at VTA, Caltrans, and others to identify policies and investments that can expand transit access and ridership.
in reply to Wendy Chou's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:04PM on page 12

Resolution
Thank you for your feedback. We’ve shared your comments with the appropriate department. While they don’t result in edits to this version of the Climate Smart San José Plan Update, your input will help guide future work.
in reply to Wendy Chou's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:04PM on page 13

Resolution
Thank you for your feedback. We’ve shared your comments with the appropriate department. While they don’t result in edits to this version of the Climate Smart San José Plan Update, your input will help guide future work.
in reply to Nathan Albano's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:03PM on page 7

Resolution
Thank you for your feedback. We’ve shared your comments with the appropriate department. While they don’t result in edits to this version of the Climate Smart San José Plan Update, your input will help guide future work.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:03PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Because our focus is on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, our metrics track the proportion of carbon-free energy in the electricity supply mix, with the endpoint being the elimination of fossil fuel-based electricity. While renewable sources such as solar and wind are a key part of that transition, other carbon-free sources (such as large hydro or nuclear) may also play a role in achieving the City’s carbon neutrality goals. The ultimate objective is not only to increase the share of renewables but to phase out carbon-emitting energy altogether.

We will also share your input with the relevant department for consideration as they continue evaluating how best to reflect both renewable and carbon-free resources in future updates.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:01PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for this thoughtful suggestion. You are correct that tracking total emissions (or cumulative pollutants entering the air each year) could provide a different perspective on San José’s climate progress. However, the Climate Smart Plan is designed as a high-level administrative framework to align City actions with our carbon neutrality goals. Our focus is on tracking progress through measurable indicators tied directly to the strategies that the City can influence—such as vehicle electrification, building energy use, and natural and working lands preservation.

While we recognize that your suggestion would add nuance, developing and maintaining such a comprehensive pollutant inventory is highly resource-intensive and beyond the scope of this administrative update. Instead, the City tracks greenhouse gas emissions through annual GHG inventories, which already incorporate a wide range of emission sources consistent with state and federal methodologies.

Your input will be noted and shared with the relevant teams for consideration in future updates, particularly as data tools evolve. For now, the City’s approach remains focused on the strategies and metrics most directly connected to our 2030 carbon neutrality pathway.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:01PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. You raise an important point about the broader impacts of climate change beyond greenhouse gas emissions, including the role of waste heat and the need for greater efficiency in energy use.

The Climate Smart San José Plan focuses specifically on climate mitigation—reducing greenhouse gas emissions through strategies such as clean energy, building and transportation electrification, and natural and working lands preservation. For this reason, metrics in this Plan are tied to San José’s carbon neutrality goals and do not extend into adaptation- or resilience-related measures like waste heat.

Your suggestion aligns more closely with the forthcoming Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan (CARP), which will address how San José can prepare for and respond to the long-term impacts of climate change, including heat-related challenges. We will share your input with the CARP team for consideration in that process.

In the meantime, Climate Smart does incorporate strategies to reduce overall energy use and increase efficiency—for example, through building performance standards, appliance electrification, and distributed energy resources. These measures not only cut greenhouse gas emissions but also help reduce waste heat indirectly.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 1:00PM on page 23

Resolution
Thank you for your feedback. We’ve shared your comments with the appropriate department. While they don’t result in edits to this version of the Climate Smart San José Plan Update, your input will help guide future work.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:59PM on page 23

Resolution
Thank you for raising this thoughtful point about how “non-SOV” (single-occupancy vehicle) trips are defined. You’re correct that different interpretations could lead to confusion about what is included.

For this update, the metric definitions were provided in consultation with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to ensure consistency with their methodologies and data sources. As part of this, DOT determined how non-SOV trips should be categorized and reported. While “non-SOV” may appear broad, DOT’s approach aligns with regional transportation standards and allows for consistent measurement over time.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:58PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for sharing your perspective on how best to frame targets and track progress. You are right that metrics can be structured in different ways—by gross increases, gross decreases, or by percentages—and each provides a different lens.

When the Climate Smart Plan was first developed in 2018, all metrics were carefully discussed and vetted with technical experts, stakeholders, and City staff. Our aim was to balance completeness with practicality: metrics need to be meaningful, but also manageable to track over time with available resources.

For this administrative update, we only revised metrics where tracking has proven difficult, where they no longer align with state or regional standards, or where data is not readily available to City staff. While we agree that additional breakdowns (gross positive, gross negative, percentages) can provide valuable insights, they also substantially increase the reporting burden. At this time, we believe the chosen metrics strike the best balance for consistent, transparent reporting.

That said, your comment highlights an important nuance, and we will share it with staff and partners for consideration in future iterations of the plan and in how we present results on the Climate Smart Dashboard.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:58PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for raising this point about per-capita versus gross metrics. We agree that both perspectives can tell an important story, particularly in a city like San José where population growth plays a significant role in overall emissions.

When Climate Smart was first developed in 2018, metrics were carefully vetted with experts and stakeholders to ensure they were both meaningful and feasible for City staff to track over time. In this administrative update, we’ve kept the focus on metrics that can be consistently reported, align with state and regional standards, and are readily available through City data sources. While tracking both per-capita and gross metrics could provide additional insights, it would also significantly increase the reporting workload and complexity.

For now, we’ve maintained a streamlined set of indicators to ensure the plan remains manageable and transparent. That said, your suggestion highlights an important nuance, and we will carry it forward for consideration in future updates and in how results are presented on the Climate Smart Dashboard.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:57PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for your feedback. We’ve shared your comments with the appropriate department. While they don’t result in edits to this version of the Climate Smart San José Plan Update, your input will help guide future work.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:56PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for your detailed comment. We agree that understanding both portfolio composition and actual generation is important when discussing carbon-free electricity. For this Plan Update, we are maintaining the current metrics, which track SJCE’s progress toward providing 100% carbon-free electricity. These metrics are high-level and designed to align with the City’s adopted Pathway to Carbon Neutrality.Importantly, the SJCE metrics shown in the plan are based on actuals, not expected or estimated values.

San José Clean Energy (SJCE) currently serves the vast majority of San José residents and businesses, making it a key driver of progress on our clean energy goals. While this Plan Update does not include additional generation or market-based metrics, your suggestion has been shared with the SJCE team for their consideration in ongoing program and portfolio planning.

More detailed information about SJCE’s procurement, portfolio composition, and programs is available through their published reports: link
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:54PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for raising this important question. The Climate Smart San José Plan update is an administrative update that maintains a high-level focus on the City’s goals and metrics. It does not prescribe detailed corrective actions for metrics that are not yet on track.

To address this, the City is transitioning to annual departmental work plans. These work plans will outline the specific programs and policies departments are pursuing, provide a way to evaluate their greenhouse gas reduction potential, and allow for adjustments year by year. This approach ensures we can identify what’s working, make course corrections, and continue to align resources and actions with the City’s carbon neutrality goal.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:54PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for flagging the discrepancy in the Natural and Working Lands data. We’ve also noted the increase in acreage compared to the initial baseline and recognize the importance of understanding its source. At this time, the cause of this difference is not fully clear, although we assume that it is at least partially due to the recent & ongoing work being done to preserve (& re-zone) Coyote Valley. Given the scope of this administrative update, we are maintaining the current reported values while we continue to look into the data.

Because we've surpassed our milestones for this metric, the projected values have been aligned with the most recent 2023 figure to ensure consistency going forward. We plan to continue investigating this discrepancy as part of future updates and will provide clarification once more information is available
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:52PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for your question. We understand the concern about how ambitious some of the targets appear, especially when comparing past progress to future milestones. This 2025 update is intentionally written as a high-level, administrative update. Its purpose is to outline goals and metrics aligned with the City’s carbon neutrality by 2030 target, rather than to provide detailed strategies or program actions. We took this approach to avoid dating the plan quickly as policies, technologies, and funding opportunities evolve.

Specific actions, timelines, and implementation details will instead be developed and tracked through annual departmental work plans. These work plans will serve as the mechanism to identify programs, estimate potential greenhouse gas reductions, evaluate costs and benefits, and adjust approaches year by year. This ensures that strategies remain flexible and responsive to changing conditions while still driving us toward the overarching goals laid out in the Climate Smart plan.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:50PM on page 15

Resolution
Thank you for the thoughtful suggestions. This metric aligns with what is currently tracked under the City’s General Plan, which measures parkland by dividing the total number of acres by the city’s population. While we can’t add new metrics in this administrative update, we will consider your ideas for future tracking on the Climate Smart Data Dashboard: sjenvironment.org/csdashboard.

We agree that proximity to parkland is an important equity issue—having ample parkland citywide is not enough if many residents do not live near it. Your suggestion to track the percentage of residents within a quarter-mile of parkland is a valuable perspective that we can explore further.

Methodologies for all metrics will be clearly defined on the Climate Smart Data Dashboard once the update is finalized.
in reply to Anonymous's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:49PM on page 14

Resolution
We acknowledge that funding is vital to implementation and understand the concerns with Climate Smart's budget. Although we do not have control over this funding, it is important to note that it is not solely Climate Smart funding that drives this work but is rather the entire City as well as the greater San Jose community that must be involved. To highlight the various players and funding involved, we are editing the graphic on page 28. We have plans to develop departmental workplans, outlining more specific actions and intiatives City departments can take to help us work towards these goals. Additionally, the original Climate Smart plan does include details on cost-benefit analyses conducted for carbon reduction strategies.
in reply to Steve's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:48PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions. We agree that measuring access to essential services near transit is important for equity and livability. However, this Plan Update is an administrative update focused on streamlining and refining a manageable set of metrics tied directly to greenhouse gas reduction.

In response to feedback, we've added both the City Density in Growth Areas and Transit-Accessible Jobs metrics back into the plan. We are also continuing to track commercial space located within ½ mile of high-quality transit. While these metrics aren’t perfect, they provide data that City staff can consistently track and aligns with methodologies already in use.

We aren’t able to add new or more granular metrics in this update, but we will pass along your suggestion to the relevant department.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:47PM on page 16

Resolution
While the metric named "Transit-Oriented Development" only measures commercial space near transit, we have 2 additional transit-oriented development metrics: City Density in Growth Areas (density of new residents in planned growth areas, which are transit-oriented developments) and Transit-Accessible Jobs (jobs located within 1/2 mile of high quality transit.)
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:46PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your comment. The 2018 Climate Smart San José Plan, including the transit-oriented development (TOD) goals, was developed through extensive vetting with subject matter experts and stakeholders. As this is an administrative update, we are not revising the ultimate long-term goals set in that plan.

However, in cases where 2023 performance already surpassed a 2030 target, we revised the interim 2027 (and, where appropriate, 2030) goals by interpolating a straight line between the most recent actual value (2023) and the next long-term goal (2040 or 2050). This keeps our targets aligned with San José’s adopted carbon neutrality pathway while maintaining consistency with the City’s previously approved long-term goals.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:46PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your feedback. We’ve shared your comments with the appropriate department. While they don’t result in edits to this version of the Climate Smart San José Plan Update, your input will help guide future work.
in reply to Anonymous's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:24PM on page 7

Resolution
Thank you for your comment. You are right—achieving our 2030 carbon neutrality goal through electrification and other strategies is extremely ambitious, and at our current pace, we acknowledge that we are not on track. This is reflected in the update, where we explicitly state that we are behind.

That said, the purpose of the Climate Smart plan is to show what it would take if we are serious about reaching carbon neutrality by 2030, as approved by City Council. The goals are intentionally ambitious because they reflect the scale of action required, not just what is easy or likely based on current trends. By setting bold targets, we hope to highlight the urgency, focus City and community action, and drive the kinds of policies, funding, and behavior changes necessary to close the gap.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:23PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your feedback. We’ve shared your comments with the appropriate department. While they don’t result in edits to this version of the Climate Smart San José Plan Update, your input will help guide future work.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:22PM on page 23

Resolution
Thank you for your detailed comments and suggestions. You are right that behavior change, especially around travel habits, is a long-term challenge and does not happen quickly. While mode shift is an important part of San José’s carbon neutrality strategy, we also recognize that our existing infrastructure makes it difficult to rely on mode shift alone to meet our 2030 goals. That’s why the Climate Smart plan includes a variety of tactics—including both mode shift and the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).

Regarding EVs, there is substantial research showing that they provide environmental benefits compared to internal combustion engine vehicles, with most EVs offsetting their production emissions within two years of use. They remain a critical component of our near- and long-term strategies to reduce transportation-related emissions.

Some of the additional metrics you suggested (such as highly nuanced or personal measures like noise pollution) are important quality-of-life issues, but they fall outside the scope of what this plan is designed to track. Our metrics are intended to stay high-level, comparable across years, and directly tied to greenhouse gas reductions, so we can maintain consistency and transparency.

Your feedback underscores the complexity of achieving carbon neutrality and the importance of advancing multiple strategies simultaneously. While we cannot incorporate every suggestion into the plan or model, we will continue to keep these broader considerations in mind as policies and programs evolve.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:21PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your comment. The 2018 Climate Smart San José Plan, including the accessible transit goals, was developed through extensive vetting with subject matter experts and stakeholders. As this is an administrative update, we are not revising the ultimate long-term goals set in that plan.

However, in cases where 2023 performance already surpassed a 2030 target, we revised the interim 2027 (and, where appropriate, 2030) goals by interpolating a straight line between the most recent actual value (2023) and the next long-term goal (2040 or 2050). This keeps our targets aligned with San José’s adopted carbon neutrality pathway while maintaining consistency with the City’s previously approved long-term goals.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:20PM on page 23

Resolution
Thank you for this thoughtful question. At present, we are not able to obtain reliable data on “transit-inaccessible jobs.” Payroll data and other datasets do not provide the necessary level of spatial detail to determine whether a given job is located near high-quality transit.

To approximate job accessibility, we use commercial space near transit as a proxy, since commercial square footage is a strong indicator of potential job density. In addition, we track commute journeys by non-single occupancy vehicle (SOV) modes, which helps capture how people are actually traveling to and from work.

We recognize that this approach is not perfect and that a more direct measure of transit-accessible jobs would be ideal. However, these indicators allow us to consistently monitor trends with the data currently available. We continue to evaluate opportunities to improve our metrics as new methodologies and data sources become available.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:19PM on page 23

Resolution
Thank you for your feedback. We’ve shared your comments with the appropriate department. While they don’t result in edits to this version of the Climate Smart San José Plan Update, your input will help guide future work.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:19PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your comment. We agree that transit accessibility for both residents and jobs is critical to reducing car dependency. The updated Plan includes metrics for commercial space located within ½ mile of high-quality transit stops as a proxy for jobs near transit, as well as metrics for residents living near transit. Together, these help capture both sides of the equation—where people live and where they work.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:18PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for raising this important point about housing affordability. We agree that affordability is a critical issue for San José, especially given the link between where people can afford to live and the transportation emissions generated by commuting.

That said, the Climate Smart San José Plan is focused specifically on greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction. Metrics in this update are limited to those directly tied to emissions, such as density, land use, transportation, energy, and natural and working lands. Broader affordability goals and metrics are tracked through other City efforts, including the General Plan and Housing Department programs.

This update is also an administrative update, keeping the focus high-level and aligned with the City’s adopted carbon neutrality by 2030 goal. The shift to departmental work plans will allow for more detailed planning and budgeting, including opportunities to better align with affordability considerations where they intersect with climate action.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:17PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your feedback. We’ve shared your comments with the appropriate department. While they don’t result in edits to this version of the Climate Smart San José Plan Update, your input will help guide future work.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:17PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your feedback. We’ve shared your comments with the appropriate department. While they don’t result in edits to this version of the Climate Smart San José Plan Update, your input will help guide future work.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:16PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for pointing this out. One metric measures total citywide natural gas usage (in therms) while the other metric measures energy use intensity, or natural gas usage (in therms) per square foot of building space. Energy use intensity is an important indicator in progress towards electrification and improved energy efficiency. The 2027 interim target for natural gas usage was not supposed to be 0 - this has been revised.
in reply to Jordan Moldow's comment

AnneBalis Sep 2 2025 at 12:15PM on page 16

Resolution
Thank you for your comment. The City’s Urban Freight Pilot is already exploring cleaner delivery options like e-cargo bikes and EVs, and how these shifts intersect with land use, air quality, and curb space. We agree that expanding our bikeway network and supporting density are important parts of enabling this transition.
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