San Francisco County officials are facing mounting pressure to prioritize climate action funding as public comments during a recent government meeting highlighted urgent concerns over the city’s capital plan. Speakers from the Climate Emergency Coalition and other advocacy groups emphasized that many critical projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are currently labeled as deferred or emerging, lacking necessary funding.

Joni Eisen, a prominent voice in the climate advocacy community, urged supervisors to confront budget constraints head-on, warning that neglecting climate initiatives now could lead to far greater expenses in the future. “Please be bold and consider raising the property tax limit for climate action. Voters do care,” she stated, underscoring the need for immediate action.

Paul Wirmer echoed these sentiments, expressing concern over the siloed approach to climate action among various city agencies. He called for a more integrated strategy that considers the interconnectedness of energy use across sectors, from transportation to housing. “It is not clear to me that anywhere in this plan, people have looked at… how do we prune gas lines and how do we build thermal energy networks,” he noted, emphasizing the importance of energy efficiency.

Lawrence Basket, representing Invisible San Francisco, pointed out the staggering costs associated with transitioning to a sustainable city, estimating it at around $20 billion. He urged the supervisors to push for a major climate bond in 2024, warning that anything less would be akin to climate denial.

As public comments concluded, the meeting shifted focus to amendments regarding the scheduling of affordable housing and public health bonds. Supervisor Safaie proposed a motion to adjust the timeline, which passed with unanimous support from the committee.

The discussions reflect a growing recognition of the urgent need for comprehensive climate action in San Francisco, as community members call for decisive measures to address the escalating climate crisis. The city’s leadership now faces the challenge of translating public concern into actionable policy.