Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

In 2021, The City of Irvine embarked on developing its first Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). The CAAP will set ambitious but achievable emissions reduction targets for the City and lays out a pathway to achieving our climate goals across both municipal operations and our community. Through thoughtfully planned greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction and climate adaptation measures, the CAAP will build upon Irvine’s previous steps towards climate leadership in Orange County to create a truly climate-smart City for the future. 

The Irvine CAAP seeks to: 

• Guide the City on the implementation of measurable actions to meet or exceed the State’s GHG reduction targets and carbon neutrality goal, as well as the City’s ambitious zero carbon by 2030 goals; 
• Recommend adaptation measures that build resilience to current and future climate threats; and 
• Emphasize climate goals for the community, establishing an aspirational and achievable path that provides options to realize aggressive emissions reduction targets by 2030, 2035, and 2045. 

Project and Outreach Timeline 

CAAP development kicked off in late July 2021. Throughout the entire CAAP development process, we have opportunities for stakeholders and residents to provide input. The City is hosting stakeholder working groups, consisting of City Staff, local experts, business representatives, and environmental advocates, which will meet at key points throughout the CAAP process. There are also opportunities for the general Irvine community to get involved, through Public Workshops and pop-up events. Please read about how you can get involved below.  

The State of California has some of the most aggressive benchmarks in the country to reduce harmful climate emissions over the next decade. California achieved its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction target ahead of schedule, while increasing the state’s economy ahead of the national average, showing that climate smart policies can be both good for the economy and environment. Currently, California’s long-term goal is to become carbon neutral by 2045. Given the acceleration of climate impacts locally and across the globe, there are calls for the state to expedite this goal and lead on the implementation of principles that make California more resilient to climate change, while creating jobs and transitioning to a clean energy economy. 

Related Documents

• City of Irvine Draft Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report 
• City of Irvine Draft Greenhouse Gas Inventory Slides
• CAAP Factsheet
• CAAP Public Workshop Presentation Deck
• Greenhouse Gas Forecast Memo
• Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
• Draft Climate Adaptation Framework 
• Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Plan
• Draft Distributed Energy Resources Plan

Get Involved

The CAAP should be reflective of the priorities and values of the Irvine community. Therefore, gaining input from stakeholders throughout the process is a key part of CAAP development. We encourage all Irvine residents and businesses to engage in this critical effort for the planet and conserve Irvine for future generations. Please see the opportunities below to get involved. Check back here for updates.  

Online Community Survey

Our Online Community Survey will help us gather input from the community on potential greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategies, mitigation measures, and help us better understand community priorities. Input from the survey will be used in combination with feedback from our public workshops to inform the adaptation and mitigation measures in the draft CAAP. Instruction on how to provide your feedback is included on the survey webpage, thank you for your feedback and participation! Please visit irvinecaap.consider.it to access the survey.

Mobile Workshops
City staff will be attending events throughout the community to provide information about the CAAP and allow additional opportunities for residents to share their input. If you would like staff to present to your organization or event, please reach out to environmentalprograms@cityofirvine.org with any questions or to learn more.  

Equity 

Procedural equity focuses on increasing opportunities for engagement and ownership in decision-making, in all aspects of climate action planning, by the communities that will be disproportionately impacted and most vulnerable to climate change. Equity is a key component of our outreach process, so we are taking steps to ensure we engage with hard-to-reach groups in Irvine. We are connecting with community groups to target communities that are under-represented and may not have been contacted through our general outreach. Additionally, we will offer materials in other languages as we coordinate with groups that may need that option. 

Please reach out to environmentalprograms@cityofirvine.org with any questions about our CAAP outreach effort or to learn more. 

Cool Irvine Program 

The CAAP provides a pathway to reduce the City’s municipal and community emissions. In order to achieve our climate goals, taking steps to reduce emissions in our day-to-day lives remains a key component. To this end, we have launched the Cool Block Program to empower residents to take climate action through neighborhood education on environmental issues and Cool Block teams that pledge meaningful actions to reduce household emissions. 

To learn about how you can take steps towards climate action today and be a Cool Block leader in your community, or simply to learn more about the program, please visit the Cool Irvine website.   

A History of Environmental Leadership in Irvine

The City of Irvine has a strong history of environmental stewardship. View the timeline below to learn more.

• November 2010: Irvine voters approve Measure S, the Sustainable Community Initiative. This ordinance outlines renewable energy and environmental programs to support a sustainable community in Irvine. 
• June 2020: The City completes the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, which establishes Irvine’s climate vulnerabilities and provides a coordinated strategy to reduce these impacts.  
• November 2020: City Council adopts the Strategic Energy Plan, which highlights actions the City can take to reduce energy consumption in municipal operations and identify effective measures the Irvine community can implement to become energy efficient and responsibly manage energy resources. 
• August 2021: City Council adopts the "Addressing Climate Change in Irvine's Environment, Values, and Energy Sources" resolution, known as the Irvine ACHIEVES resolution, to help guide the development of the City's climate plans and climate action efforts. 
• January 2022: The City launches Cool Irvine, a program that empowers residents to take climate action through neighborhood education on environmental issues and Cool Block teams that pledge meaningful actions to reduce household emissions.  
• April 2022: The City, in partnership with the nonprofit OC Goes Solar, launches the Solarize Irvine Program, a solar group-purchasing program which helps make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to go solar. 
• October 2022: SCE begins providing all Irvine customers renewable energy through the first Community Choice Energy initiative in Orange County, an effort led by the City to give consumers clean energy choices and reduce GHG emissions. 

Past Events

CAAP Public Workshop: December 6
The City of Irvine Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP) Public Workshop was held December 6, 2022. Staff reviewed the goals of Irvine's CAAP, shared information on the municipal and community greenhouse gas inventory, and provided a chance for the public to interactively engage with the City and their peers around emissions reductions measures. 

For those who were unable to attend the workshop, please review the draft GHG Inventory materials and the CAAP Public Workshop presentation above, and submit your feedback to environmentalprograms@cityofirvine.org.