San Francisco has been a regional and national leader in environmental protection. We have some of the toughest laws in place to combat climate change, reduce waste and green our buildings and neighborhoods. I believe we have a responsibility to combat global warming and lead the way forward on the national level to a sustainable future.
I support reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to meet goals set in the Climate Action Plan and will put us on a path to zero emissions.
SAN FRANCISCO SHOULD BE THE CENTER OF THE CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY
I will work to bring our city the companies that are developing innovative, clean tech solutions to our most pressing environmental challenges. We must green our buildings, reduce vehicle emissions, and develop renewable energy sources through innovation and financing of renewable energy development.
REDUCE VEHICLE EMISSIONS AND MAKE SAN FRANCISCISCO THE “EV CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES”
We can reduce vehicle emissions and make our roads friendly for all by encouraging and approving transit-oriented development, building sustainable streets with more room for bikes and pedestrians, and making improvements to public transit.
I will work to make San Francisco the electric vehicle capital of the United States. I will fight to make our city a top priority for investment in EV infrastructure. I support workforce training programs for EV charging station installation so that residents can take advantage of new job opportunities created by the growing EV industry. I will work toward conversion of our city-owned vehicle fleet to 100% alternative fuel or electric.
One of my top priorities is to ensure that parents have the choice to send their children to a good public school in their neighborhood, and having public schools closer to home means that more students can walk or ride their bike to school instead of having parents sit in idling cars waiting to pick them up.
Recently, San Francisco implemented a pilot program called SFPark. I will expand this program allowing residents to more easily find a parking space using the latest technology while not wasting time and energy circling the block.
ZERO WASTE BY 2020
San Francisco has a goal of achieving Zero Waste by 2020. I will work to make this goal a reality by educating residents and enforcing our city’s recycling and composting laws. I will advance new ideas for increasing our use of sustainable and renewable materials throughout the city.
INCENTIVES FOR SOLAR
I support the GoSolarSF program that provides incentives to residents, businesses, and non-profits to install solar panels. The program has been a huge success and I will make funding for the program a priority in the budgets I propose as mayor.
KEEPING SAN FRANCISCO CLEAN AND GREEN
Clean and green neighborhoods enhance our quality of life. San Francisco is a densely populated community and we need vibrant public spaces. The City has planted more than 25,000 trees over the last several years but we need to do more; additional tree plantings and continued vigilance on tree care to grow our urban canopy will be a priority. I support programs like Pavement to Parks, Sunday Streets, and the formation of Community Benefit Districts (CBD’s) to empower residents to make neighborhood improvements. I will enforce anti-littering and anti-graffiti ordinances. Small businesses should not solely bear the cost of removing graffiti and I will support our local merchants.
GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS
San Francisco has strong green building requirements for new development, but our existing buildings and infrastructure are far less environmentally friendly. As mayor, I will push to retrofit existing commercial buildings using the most cutting-edge, cost-effective techniques. I will advocate for initiatives that educate community members and provide greening assistance for residential buildings. I will also promote the green business program and work to provide additional incentives for companies to become green business certified.
URBAN AGRICULTURE
To create a truly sustainable city, we need to reinvent how we get our food. To help reduce carbon emissions created by transporting food and to support a healthy and sustainable way of producing food, I supports incentive for urban agriculture. Recently, legislation was passed that makes it easier for residents to grow their own food. It eases restrictions and encourages gardens on vacant lots. These initiatives are important and I will work to make continued progress and keep San Francisco on the cutting edge of urban food production.
