Sustainability and Climate Action Plan Progress

Every quarter, the City releases updates on Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) Progress. Here are a few key updates from the Q4 2023 report:

Over 285 residents have installed or signed contracts to install a Heat Pump Water Heater through the City’s program. Join your neighbors who made the switch and take advantage of limited time state incentives while they last! Call (650) 713-3411 or answer four easy questions here to get started.
From October to December, the City’s ride share service Palo Alto Link completed 12,722 rides, averaging 196 rides per service day.
About 4% of all multi-family units in Palo Alto have installed electric vehicle chargers through City programs, with more projects in the pipeline equal to 8% of all multi-family units.
New electric vehicles were purchased for the City’s fleet. About 15% of the City’s passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks and vans are now electric.
The City is working to increase the co-benefits of a thriving urban tree canopy, including carbon sequestration, water quality improvements, stormwater capture, and urban heat island reduction.
17% of utilities customers use WaterSmart to track their water use and access personalized water conservation recommendations.

Palo Alto Earth Day Festival

Spring into the Palo Alto Earth Day Festival: celebrate sustainability, take climate action, and connect with one another! Save the date of April 21, and join us at Rinconada Library from 1-4 p.m. Explore eco-adventures for the whole family, get your sustainable living questions answered, and start (or continue) your journey towards an electric home. Hang out with a snake, check out the electric garbage truck, and explore nearby pollinator gardens to learn about our local natural environment. Earth Day Festival will have something for everyone and is free and open to the public; bring your family, friends, and neighbors! Learn more at www.cityofpaloalto.org/EarthDay.

Powering Electric Appliances in a Power Outage

Living with electric appliances is not very different than living with gas appliances in emergency power situations. Read this community update to learn how you can prepare your electric home for power outages and explore tools to help you make the switch to electric.

Canopy Tree Plotter

Have you explored the Canopy Tree Plotter yet? This online resource helps you explore and engage with our urban forest. Check out what trees are in your neighborhood, explore the benefits trees provide, and share your tree stewardship activities. Add your own yard trees to help us understand and manage our urban tree canopy. Check out the map here to get started.

Silicon Valley Reads Has Begun!

Discover new books exploring sustainability and the environment and connect with neighbors through the Silicon Valley Reads initiative. This year’s theme is “A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today” and engages readers in ideas and actions to take meaningful steps for more sustainable living and climate action. Find upcoming events and books to read through March.

Apply to Volunteer on a City Board, Commission, or Committee

Make an impact and get involved in the community. Consider applying to volunteer on a City board, commission, or committee. There are 18 open seats, including the Planning & Transportation Committee, Stormwater Management Oversight Committee, and Utilities Advisory Commission. Deadline to apply is March 17.

Learn More and Apply

Watershed Watch Earth Day Poster Challenge

Hey Youth! Share your creative vision for clean waterways in Santa Clara Valley for the chance to win $250! Enter the Watershed Watch Earth Day Poster Challenge by March 18. Open to those in Kindergarten through 8th grades. Winners from each grade bracket will receive cash prizes and have their art featured in campaigns to promote pollution prevention.

Learn More and Participate

Increased Rebates for Businesses

Through May 31, businesses can receive 20% more than the standard rebates for energy and water efficiency measures and up to double for electrification upgrades. Learn more and sign up.

Electric Vehicle Discount Campaign

Save on select electric vehicle models. Access discounts up to $6,000 off MSRP before February 29 through a limited-time discount campaign available to Palo Alto residents. Learn more and sign up.

Upcoming Events

Co mmunity Emergency Response Team Training

Starts Monday, March 4 | 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Stream Corridor Protection Ordinance Update Community Info Session

Tuesday, March 5 | 6 p.m.

Virtual

Make-athon: Make Designer Bags from Recycled Plastic

Saturday, March 9 | 5 p.m.

Cubberley Community Center

EV 102: New Owner Workshop

Wednesday, March 20 | 5 - 6 p.m.

Virtual

Palo Alto Earth Day Festival

Sunday, April 21 | 1 - 4 p.m.

Rinconada Library