California has been at the forefront of the climate change discussions in terms of the state’s pioneering policies, technological innovation, and groundbreaking policies; and also its vulnerability to climate disasters. At Confluence’s 2019 Climate Solutions Summit in San Francisco, CA, Kate Gordon, Director of the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, delivered her keynote speech, “From Ambition to Action.” Gordon, a nationally recognized expert at the intersection of climate change, energy and economic development, explained that the Office of Planning and Research functions as a think tank attached to the Governor’s Office. California is a pioneer in climate change policy, and Gordon began her address by recapping some of the State’s accomplishments in this sphere.
Gordon credited preceding Governor Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger for laying down an “ambitious” climate change policy as a foundation for the current administration. In 2016, Brown set unprecedented carbon mitigation goals for the state. He mandated that carbon emissions be reduced by 40% below 1990’s levels by 2030, and committed to carbon neutrality by 2045. Today, Gordon and Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration are working on achieving these goals with smart, progressive policy. “[Newsom] is an implementation guy,” she says. “He says, ‘This is a great framework of implementation and goals; how do we actually get there?’”
She touted the Governor’s recent budget submission as a progressive leap forward in fiscal policy toward addressing climate change. “The Governor’s budget really puts forward some important things that I think underscore that innovation approach,” she said. “It’s an approach that’s not just about climate mitigation, but also about resiliency, which is a major issue for this age.” Through allocations to the California Climate Change Fund, the administration set a high priority on investments in communities most affected by climate change, emphasizing air quality. Also, the Governor’s Office included funding for engine replacement, diesel pollution mitigation, and sustainable community development.
Next, the Governor’s office wanted to look at what was not working. They discovered that the State was lagging behind on its emission targets for the transportation and agricultural sectors. In response, the budget called for significant investments in these areas. She stressed that the administration's goal is to get cars off the road. “I think the budget is an exciting look at where the Governor’s priorities are, and a good look forward.”
Unfortunately, the administration hit a snag not too long after entering the office. “A couple of weeks before he started his role, of course, the campfire started in Paradise [CA],” Gordon said. Wildfires have been extremely destructive for California over the past few years; Gordon revealed that there were over 6,000 in California last year alone. She said, “What we have is a three-part pattern coming together in this State: climate change, housing affordability, and utility liability.” Basically, climate change creates the dry conditions for the fires, while a lack of affordable housing has pushed residents into low-cost areas that are at high risk for flare-ups. Finally, the utility infrastructure needed to service these new residents creates additional liability for fires. “Utilities only cause about 10% of the state’s wildfires, but they are the most destructive wildfires, by far, because they are near population centers.” California utility provider PG&E was found liable for causing the notorious camp fire, and it has thrown the entire State’s utility system into chaos.
“[PG&E] has been a defining issue of Newsom’s tenure. It brings together everything you all have been talking about today,” Gordon said, explaining that the issue touches on several key areas of sustainable development policy, including climate, housing, energy, and more. If they fail to address the PG&E issue adequately, she said, the State will be unable to meet its carbon mitigation goals.
The two biggest problems for California, Gordon revealed, are wildfires and transportation. Including production and refining, transportation produces 51% of the State’s emissions. “The major reason this number is increasing is that more people are driving,” she said. “The major reason people are driving more is that we have a housing affordability problem in this State.” California has over 26 million vehicles on the road, and Gordon stresses that electric vehicles aren’t enough to make a difference. “We have 800,000 electric vehicles on the road. That doesn’t mean we took 800,000 other cars and switched them out,” she explained, “A lot of those are 3rd or 4th vehicles, so we’ve actually added vehicles.” California has to curb the number of vehicle miles traveled on its roads if it wants to meet its emissions targets, so it’s working harder than ever before to beef up its public transportation system.
Governor Newsom grasps the enormity of the issue at hand. The Governor once said, “There is no doubt our State’s economy and quality of life depend on improving transportation.” She said that the Governor’s plan is bigger than a high-speed rail system—it’s a commitment to building a backbone of regional transportation for the entire state. “We are looking at 50 million people by 2050,” Gordon said, and estimates predict that most of those people will settle in central valley cities, where there is room for growth. “The high-speed rail stations will be anchors for those places to warrant full development, [and] high-speed rail itself will be an anchor for a larger retail rail system that will connect all over the state,” she explained. “It’s something we have not historically done, but it is a way to move people much more efficiently around the State.”
Ultimately, Gordon said, it’s a land use challenge, even though it isn’t traditionally perceived as a climate change issue in most schools of thought. Thinking of interesting ways to create sustainable communities will help address California’s other problems. “We need to think of new ways to build, new infrastructure for different types of buildings,” she said. “Particularly in these risky areas, it’s a really important thing for California right now.”
Gordon gave her views on the role of the State in creating impact. “We set these ambitious goals. We’re trying to align resources to them,” she explained. She said the key strength of this Governor’s administration is its ambition to action. “We really are action-focused and implementation-focused.” She emphasized, “We have to lead the way on how to reach these goals.”
“It’s a very challenging situation,” Gordon said. “I’m excited about the opportunity.”
