Atherton committee recommends annual spring and fall anchor events to support Climate Action Plan goals

At its meeting the Atherton Environmental Programs Committee considered staff’s recommendation to structure public education around two annual “anchor” outreach events — one in spring and one in fall — to support implementation of the town’s updated climate action plan and drive behavior change on building energy, water use, transportation and waste.

The committee reviewed the Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2023 update and the town’s targets — a 49% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below a 2005 baseline by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2045 — and discussed ways the EPC could help with outreach and implementation.

Staff recommendation and rationale Staff recommended the EPC adopt a programming rhythm of two anchor events a year: a spring workshop (staff suggested a composting workshop as a low-cost, high-engagement example) and a fall event with a rotating environmental focus such as building electrification, water conservation, wildfire resilience or air quality. “I…