Bay Area Climate and Energy Scorecard Project
Student Team:
Susan Lucas, Nathaniel Roush, Greg Brynelson, Eric Woodyard, Paula Solanes, Alok Sanghavi
Description of Bay Area Council:
The Bay Area Council is a business sponsored public policy advocacy organization for the nine-county Bay Area. The Council advocates for a strong economy, vital business environment and a sustainable quality of life for individuals within the Bay Area.
“The Davis consulting team dug deep into a complex issue and gave us an excellent product that will advance the regional dialogue on climate change and the transition to a greener, more sustainable economy.”
- Sean Randolph, Bay Area Council
Project Description:
UC Davis team was tasked to assist the Bay Area Council Economic Institute (BACEI) in its partnership with the Joint Policy Committee (JPC) in an analysis for a Bay Area Climate & Energy Scorecard (BACES) for the nine-county Bay Area. The BACEI are helping Bay Area leaders and the general public to answer:
- “How are we doing in reducing Bay Area greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from transportation, industry, electricity production, and other sources?”
- “How are we doing in reducing Bay Area energy consumption and shifting to a sustainable “green economy?” , and
- “What are the potential GHG reductions from various climate change approaches that could be employed in the Bay Area?”
“The Davis students’ work for us on Bay Area climate and economic indicators was first-rate and will be quite useful in our efforts to build a more prosperous and resilient region.”
- Bruce Riordan, Climate Consultant, Joint Policy Committee, Bay Area Council
Background:
Despite California legislation to address global warming, greenhouse gas emissions continue to impact our climate. Bay Area Council is looking for a way to bring the nine counties together to measure progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a standardized simple tool.
UC Davis Recommendations:
The UC Davis team conducted detailed and thorough analysis of regional, national and international progress and measures towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and proposed a set of metrics for the Bay Area Climate and Energy Scorecard. In addition, the team also identified various challenges and developed strategies and recommendations to deploy such a scorecard effectively across the region, which would then be used by the public and government policy makers to transform the Bay Area into a sustainable “green economy”.
