HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210311_Letter to Gov. Newsom Zero EmissionsCity of San Luis Obispo, Office of the City Council, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401-3249, 805.781.7114, slocity.org
March 11, 2021
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 558-3160
RE: Zero Emissions Investment Funding
Dear Governor Newsom,
I am writing to share my support for your innovative stimulus proposal, particularly the $1.5
billion investment in the production and affordability of electric vehicles and equipment, as
well as your further dedication of $300 million towards maintenance and greening of the state
infrastructure. In taking decisive steps towards greening our fleet, you have positioned our
state yet again to serve as a leader in transformative environmental action. While setting a
2035 goal has been trailblazing, I urge you to consider adopting the more aggressive target of
100% zero emission vehicle sales by 2030.
As our community on the Central Coast faces the decommissioning of the Diablo Power Plant,
the pressing need for green jobs is more dire than ever. Statewide, as municipalities struggle
to rebound from the economic deflation caused by the Covid-19, the promise of an accelerated
green jobs program offers hope for a rebounding economy and thriving workforce.
Thank you for putting environmental justice at the forefront of California’s future. This budget
proposal serves as a vital step in the right direction, allowing our communities the resources
to act even faster to save our us from the worst effects of climate change. Your commitment
to a 2035 goal demonstrates California’s prioritization of science-backed environmental
leadership and understands the urgency of the climate crisis.
As ambitious as your 2035 goal is, scientists tell us it is not enough, and that we need to move
faster. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides us with a stark
analysis: to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, we need to slash emissions
45% below 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.1 The transportation sector makes
1 IPCC, 2018: Summary for Policymakers. In: Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of
1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response
to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [Masson -Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, H.-O. Pörtner, D.
Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J.B.R. Matthews, Y. California Air
Resource Board, 2020 Edition: California Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2000 to 2018. Trends of Emissions and Other Indicators. In
Press. Chen, X. Zhou, M.I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, and T. Waterfield (eds.)]. In Press.
up over 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions in California, meaning that accelerating the
electrification of our vehicles provides the shortest path to widespread carbon emission
reduction.2 With 26 million registered cars in the state and a decades -long battle to establish
and increase ZEV standards, California has the will and the power to expand beyond a 2035
goal.
Major car manufacturers, including Volvo and Jaguar, are already planning to eliminate the
internal combustion engine from their lineups before 2030. As a longstanding environmental
leader in both policy and technology, California is the ideal state to lead in setting a 100%
ZEV sales goal for 2030. Being the 5th-largest economy in the world, we have the ability to
influence others and change trends.
Indeed, we have seen California’s leadership inspire others before. Across the country, 13
other states and the District of Columbia have adopted California’s stringent tailpipe emission
standards to reduce emissions. As the first state to establish a ZEV mandate, and the home to
17 electric vehicle manufacturers, we can set the trend again. Since electric vehicles are
already California’s highest grossing global export, we would be helping a homegrown
industry in the process.3
Thank you for your willingness and enthusiasm to work with California cities towards a
zero-emission future and an expansive clean job market.
Sincerely,
Heidi Harmon
Mayor
cc: San Luis Obispo City Council
2 US Census Bureau, 2020: Total U.S. Exports (Origin of Movement) from California. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/forei gn-
trade/statistics/state/data/ca.html#comm