San José Carbon Neutral Resolution a Bold Step Forward

SAN JOSÉ — The San José City Council voted today to approve the Carbon Neutral by 2030 Resolution. This Resolution commits San José to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, updating the city's climate plans and resources to align with this new goal, and engaging environmental justice communities in policy design and implementation.

The following is a statement by Amanda Eaken, transportation director of the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge and project leader of the Delivering Zero Emissions Communities program at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“This resolution is an ambitious next step from a city that has already taken real action to tackle climate change, including passing a policy to get fossil fuels out of large buildings and creating a 400-mile bike network. By committing to dramatically reduce emissions in this decade and, just as importantly, committing to update and fund city plans to make good on this bold promise, San José continues to lead the way on climate action.

“Reducing transportation emissions will be essential to meet this commitment. Swapping out dirty diesel-powered commercial vehicles like delivery trucks and big rigs for clean electric versions will go a long way toward this goal.”

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.