City Council Votes to Pass Climate Emergency Resolution

In a 3-1 vote, the San Diego City Council Environment Committee approved a resolution declaring a climate emergency in the city of San Diego. While the vote to approve a resolution has no council actions attached, the city of San Diego joins other major California cities like San Francisco, San Jose, and Sacramento, all of which have also declared climate emergencies. 

As a member of the environment committee, Councilmember Jennifer Campbell said the resolution is a necessary process to keep the climate crisis at the forefront of discussion for important city matters. “By passing this resolution today, we’ll be joining more than 1,300 other cities in 25 countries in declaring a climate emergency. Climate change in San Diego is not a what-if, it’s what’s now.”

Campbell mentioned that San Diego has seen the effects of climate change over the last 100 years, with the city witnessing nine inches of sea-level rise. She warns “it’s well past the time to sound the alarm.” 

In 2015, the city council approved the Climate Action Plan, a sweeping resolution that is to reduce emissions and implement other necessary climate change steps citywide by 2035. Councilmember Barabra Bry hopes this climate change emergency resolution will set an example for other American cities just as it did with the Climate Action Plan. 

The emergency resolution will go through a review with the environment committee before being brought forward to the full council. This process will add actionable stipulations that the city can act on to provide a measured approach to fighting climate change. 

Councilmember Scott Sherman was the lone dissenting vote, though he added that he does not vote for resolutions as they do not provide actionable change. He did he is looking forward to staff adding more substantial items before it is brought to the full council.