By Jorge Casuso
July 23, 2025 -- If the City is to meet its "ambitious climate goals," Santa Monicans will have to pitch in more by switching to electric vehicles, ditching gas appliances and biking or walking more.
The Climate Action and Adaptation Progress Report released Tuesday indicates that most of the progress towards reducing greenhouse gases has been the result of major efforts and investments by the City under an $800 million plan.
These include transitioning its municipal bus fleet to electric vehicles, installing 123 miles of bike lanes, adding EV charging stations and participating in the Clean Power Alliance, according to the report.
While the City’s most recent emissions inventory shows a 54 percent reduction in carbon emissions since 1990, it must further reduce emissions by 26 percent if it is to meet its 80 percent interim target by 2030.
"Despite progress in more efficient appliances and cleaner transportation options, there is no shortage of obstacles to reaching the City’s ambitious climate targets," the report states.
One of the biggest strides in meeting the City's goals was made by defaulting Santa Monica customers into 100 percent clean electricity by participating in the Clean Power Alliance, according to the report
But while the move has "drastically reduced citywide emissions" among residential customers, "the emissions change is lower in the commercial and industrial electricity sectors," the report notes.
"(S)ome large commercial customers have chosen to opt to lower levels of clean power or have opted out completely and chosen to stick with power supplied by Southern California Edison, which has a lower renewable energy portfolio," the report said.
Meanwhile, investments in the transportation sector -- which accounts for 60 percent of the city’s carbon emissions -- are having an impact, according to the report.
The Big Blue Bus (BBB) now has 19 battery electric buses in service with an additional 13 buses coming this year, the report notes.
"In 2024, these buses traveled 333,561 miles, reducing an estimated 22 thousand pounds of greenhouse gas emissions," according to the report.
The BBB recently received a $53.3 million grant from the State "to complete their electrification master plan, fund the purchase of 73 additional battery electric buses and provide workforce development to operate infrastructure improvements."
The City is also investing in its public EV charging network, which added 84 EV charging ports since 2019, bringing the total to 226. Of the new ports, 78 were installed in City parking facilities. A total of 13 new curbside chargers were also added in residential neighborhoods.
The biggest reduction in overall emissions came during the 2020 coronavirus shutdown, when "decreases in transportation resulted in a 60 percent departure in overall emissions from 1990."
In 2022, the economy began picking up, and the City saw an increase in emissions from 2020, although at levels 10 percent below the pre-COVID levels in 2019.
The investents are part of an $800 million 10-year Climate Action Plan adopted by the City Council in 2019 that is likely the most costly and ambitious climate initiative for a city of its size in the nation.
The plan includes $383 million worth of initiatives that had been in place when it was approved, as well as major new capital investments ("Santa Monica Adopts $800 Million Plan to Fight Climate Change," May 29, 2019).
The plan, which calls for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 or sooner, includes action plans to achieve water self-sufficiency by 2023 and zero waste by 2030.
The latest report, said Sustainability Analyst Nico Predock, "is a call to action to residents, community organizations and local businesses to take an active part in our transition to a vibrant low carbon economy."
To read the Climate Action and Adaptation Progress Report click here
