Demand strong climate action from elected leaders!
Politicians, including the mayor, claim they almost never hear climate concerns from constituents. But we know people do care strongly - they just don’t speak up that much. As a result, the local press, too, largely ignores the crisis.
But the situation is urgent.
This year's initial City budget proposal mandates drastic cuts to SF Environment Department (SFE). SFE has already been forced to cut 3 full-time equivalent staff positions this fiscal year, with another 7.8 FTEs slated for elimination in July. With them goes the department's core climate capacity, years of expertise and most of its climate program staffing. At extreme risk:
- Climate action planning & performance oversight
- Building electrification (the Climate Equity Hub would vanish)
- Elimination of gas-fired landscaping equipment
- EV charging
- Biodiversity
Also at risk are millions in future grants. Since 2022-23, SF Environment Department has brought in $29 in outside grants for every dollar invested by the City.
