Sustainability and Climate Action (S/CAP) Progress

In 2024, the City made significant progress toward our S/CAP goals. Highlights include...

Hosting the first Citywide Palo Alto Earth Day Festival since before the pandemic, drawing over 700 attendees.
Adopting an ordinance that authorizes improving the Palo Alto Baylands by advancing the Horizontal Levee Pilot Project.
Debuting the Canopy Tree Plotter. Learn about our urban forest and share input.

In Quarter 4, many accomplishments we celebrated couldn’t have been achieved without our residents and local community organizations. Together, we...

Installed electric vehicle (EV) chargers at 17 multi-family properties throughout the City.
Installed the 500th heat pump water heater through our programs (this number includes the City’s rebate and full-service program)!
Developed the draft Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan. Share feedback through March 15.
Continued engagement on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan update, a new interactive map is open now for community comments.

See more accomplishments on our website or read the full progress report in the March 10 City Council Meeting packet.

Save the Date: Earth Day Festival

Save the date! We’re excited to welcome the community again to celebrate Earth Day and connect with neighbors at the Palo Alto Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 27 at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1 – 4 p.m. Take photos at the Watershed Protection photobooth, play zero waste trivia games, visit Sequoia the Bald Eagle on her birthday, and more! The Festival is free and a great opportunity to find actionable ways you can make an impact this Earth Day and beyond. Plus, sign the Planet Protection Pledge with a sidewalk chalk twist.

New Resources to Electrify Your Home

& Help Save the Planet

The City has made it even easier to save money, save the planet, and contribute to a cleaner and healthier community one home at a time. Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels is a communitywide focus.

A new electrification portal makes switching as seamless as possible for residents and businesses. New rebates for home projects like heat pump HVAC systems and incentives for removing your gas meter help you save money. Plus, take a free home assessment questionnaire to start your home electrification plan and gain advice from experts. Join your neighbors saving the planet one home at a time at www.cityofpaloalto.org/ElectrifyMyHome.

Climate Action Blog: Zero Waste Living for Love

Read the latest Climate Action Blog on Zero Waste Living for Love. Celebrate your love for the community by using tips, tools, and resources to help you incorporate zero waste habits into everyday life. From breaking up with food waste to using less packaging, we’ve compiled resources to advance a greener community for all.

Celebrate Black Environmental Scientists & Leaders

Wrap up Black History Month by celebrating these Environmental Scientists and Justice Leaders:

Dr. Wangari Maathai - Professor Maathai started the Green Belt Movement in 1977, a community tree planting initiative that has planted more than 51 million trees to encourage climate resilience, making her the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Celebrate her on March 3 for Wangari Maathai day.

Dr. Robert Bullard - Often known as the ‘father of environmental justice,’ Dr. Bullard has helped campaign against harmful waste being dumped into predominantly Black neighborhoods since the 1970s and is the author of Dumping in Dixie.
Dr. Warren Washington - A pioneer in climate and meteorology, and one of the first people to develop atmospheric computer models in the 1960s.

Learn more here.

Earth Day Poster Contest

Calling all K-8 student artists in Santa Clara Valley! The Watershed Watch Annual Earth Day Poster Challenge is now open. Share your creative vision and show your love for our local waterways or how you prevent stormwater pollution! Enter by March 17 for your chance to win up to $250. Winners from each of three grade brackets will receive cash prizes and have their art featured on social media to promote water pollution prevention.

Get all the details and submit your art.

New Climate Action and Sustainability Ad Hoc Committee

Learn more about our new Climate Action and Sustainability Ad Hoc Committee. Residents will be able to participate in regular meetings and conversations about the City’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP). More info coming soon.

Transportation Input Opportunities

Share input on proposed bicycle network, facilities, projects, programs, and pedestrian improvements, by using the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan online interactive map and comment tool, open through April 30. Additionally, the public comment period for Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan is open until March 15. Save the date for a workshop to help plan the future of biking, walking, and traversing Palo Alto. Join us in the El Palo Alto Room at Mitchell Park Community Center on Wednesday, April 2, 6 – 7:30 p.m. More details will be released soon.