Receive update on progress implementing the Yolo County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP), including year one accomplishments, the 2025 Impact Report, and proposed 2026–27 CAAP Implementation Priorities. (No general fund impact.) (Webb/Wraithwall) (Est. Staff Presentation: 10 min)

This item presents the 2025 Yolo County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) Impact Report, which summarizes progress during the first full year of implementation. The report reflects work undertaken by the Sustainability Division, Green Team, Community Climate Action Fund (CCAF) grantees, community-based organizations, and regional partners to advance CAAP actions across County operations and the broader community. 
 
Since CAAP adoption began in January 2025, County departments and partners have initiated work on 105 of the Plan’s 183 actions. Of these, 48 actions are currently in implementation, 54 are in planning, and 3 have been completed. These efforts represent coordinated progress across multiple sectors to advance greenhouse gas reduction and climate resilience goals, and set the stage for continued implementation in 2026 and beyond. 
 
BACKGROUND 
On December 3, 2024, the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the 2030 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP), which includes 10 strategies, 40 measures, and 183 actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate resilience, with the goal of achieving a net-negative emissions footprint by 2030. Implementation of Phase I actions began immediately following adoption. 

On November 25, 2024, the Board approved $259,268 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to support CAAP implementation. This included $171,270 allocated for the Community Climate Action Fund (CCAF), a competitive funding program for local community-based organizations (CBOs) to deliver CAAP-aligned projects, which launched in March 2025, awarding eight grantees to advance implementation of more than 25 CAAP actions. Additional ARP funds supported the development of a Climate Action Tracking Dashboard, Yolo Energy Partnership (YEP) programming, and early implementation of key CAAP actions. 

2025 IMPACT REPORT 
The 2025 CAAP Impact Report is organized around the major program areas of the CAAP, and the following summarizes key highlights presented in the report. 

Community Outreach and Engagement 
The Sustainability Division tabled at 15 community events in 2025, ranging from Día de los Niños celebrations in Woodland, Knights Landing, and Clarksburg, to the West Sacramento Senior Resource Fair, engaging more than 1,000 community members in conversations about clean energy, climate resilience, and emergency preparedness. A highlight in 2025 outreach was the Yolo Energy Partnership (YEP) Energy & Resilience Resource Fair, hosted on October 18, 2025 in Esparto in partnership with community-based partners, the De Colores Resource Center (De Colores) and Cool Davis, which connected unincorporated Yolo County residents with free energy programs, information about incentives, and disaster preparedness resources. Equity was a throughline: throughout the outreach process, staff focused on increasing accessibility to programs and resources through in-person community engagement. At local events, staff provided bilingual materials in English and Spanish, distributed Weatherization kits, shared energy-saving resources, and helped residents navigate available programs. The Division also maintained a growing digital presence, reaching 32,000+ social media impressions across Facebook and Instagram, and publishing 23 sustainability newsletters. 
  
Yolo Energy Partnership (YEP) 
Launched in April 2025, the Yolo Energy Partnership brings together Yolo County, Valley Clean Energy (VCE), De Colores, Cool Davis, and Earth Advantage to deliver free clean energy programs to renters, low-income homeowners, and farmworkers in unincorporated Yolo County, prioritizing rural and disadvantaged communities. In its first year, YEP distributed more than 150 Weatherization kits to renters, completed 3 Home Energy Score assessments through the Home Energy Score Pilot Program with Earth Advantage (with an additional 47 completed in the first half of 2026), and hosted 20 outreach events. Through YEP, VCE’s Electric Advisors program helped 84 Yolo County residents navigate rebates, efficiency upgrades, and clean energy programs. 
  
Green Team & County Operations in Action 
The 25-member Yolo County Green Team brings together staff from across County departments to track progress on internal CAAP implementation metrics and champion sustainability from within County operations. In 2025, the Green Team met three times—in February, July, and October—and tracked key milestones in fleet electrification and waste diversion.  
 
In February 2025, the County's 25-member interdepartmental Green Team identified a set of Phase I implementation priorities to focus staff efforts and funding pursuits during the first years of Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) implementation. Over the past year, County departments have worked collaboratively to advance these priorities while integrating CAAP actions into existing work programs, grant applications, capital planning efforts, and operational practices. 
 
To assess progress and inform development of the County's 2026–2027 CAAP Implementation Priorities, the Sustainability Division conducted a comprehensive review of implementation activities in coordination with Green Team members representing departments across the organization. Staff evaluated the status of priority actions, implementation challenges, funding opportunities, staffing capacity, and alignment with emerging County and community needs. 
 
The review found that, one year after adoption of the CAAP, the County has initiated work on 105 actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build community resilience. Of these 48 actions are currently in implementation, 54 are in planning, and 3 have been completed through partnerships across County departments, community organizations, and regional agencies. 
 
Based on this assessment, staff developed an updated set of 2026–2027 implementation priorities designed to focus County resources on the actions that are most feasible, impactful, and strategically positioned for advancement over the next two years. Several priorities have advanced into implementation, while others have been sequenced for future phases based on available resources, staffing capacity, and funding opportunities. 
 
Additional Green Team Highlights include: the Department of General Services installed 3 EV chargers at County facilities and 14 public EV stations; and the Integrated Waste Management (IWM) Division completed 340 household spot inspections for three-stream recycling compliance in unincorporated areas, plus 9 facility organics inspections. The Green Team will continue to meet quarterly to continue progressing on CAAP actions together. 
 
Community Climate Action Fund (CCAF) 
On December 3, 2024, the Board approved $171,270 in ARP funds for the Community Climate Action Fund, awarding grants to eight CBOs to launch implementation of Phase I CAAP actions across Yolo County. Projects launched in March 2025. Grantee highlights include: 

CAAP Strategy Implementation 
In 2025, the Sustainability Division made meaningful progress implementing the strategies outlined in the CAAP, moving key initiatives from planning into action across the County: 

 
CAAP Tracking Dashboard  
Following Board approval of a contract with Michael Hendrix Consulting (MHC) and subconsultants Kausal and Cheryl Lakowski Consulting in March 2025, the Division began development of a Climate Action Dashboard, an interactive, public-facing tool designed to help residents explore the County’s climate goals, discover available resources, and track progress toward a more sustainable and resilient Yolo County. The dashboard launched on Earth Day 2026 at ClimateAction.YoloCounty.gov, which has since received 2,443 unique visitors, features a promotional video including Supervisor Sheila Allen, County Administrative Officer Mike Webb, and Yolo County Climate Action Commission Member, Mark Aulman.  
  
Yolo County Regional Resilience Collaborative (YCRRC) 
The YCRRC is a regional multi-agency and community collaborative formed to plan for Yolo County’s most pressing climate hazards including wildfire, flooding, and extreme heat. In 2025, membership grew to 11 organizations (including 3 new CBOs and 2 local jurisdictions that joined during the year). The Collaborative held 11 meetings, hosted a community workshop on July 24, 2025 that was attended by approximately 50 local agency and CBO partners, identified 19 Countywide climate resilience needs, and conducted a public priority project nomination process, ultimately selecting 9 priority projects in November 2025 from 28 proposals. A Regional Needs Assessment is currently in development, with a second community workshop and formal Collaborative launch scheduled for July 20, 2026. 
  
Yolo County as a Regional and Statewide Thought Leader 
In 2025, the Sustainability Division also focused on sharing lessons learned from the CAAP implementation process with partners across the region and the state. Staff were invited to speak at seven regional and statewide convenings, presenting the CAAP’s story, program innovations, and lessons from plan development and Year One of implementation to more than 650 planning and climate leaders. Regional presentations included two Capitol Region Climate Readiness Collaborative workshops, a community film screening and panel discussion in West Sacramento, the SACOG City Managers/County Executives Group, the UC Davis Humphrey Fellows Cohort, the Strategic Growth Council Regional Climate Collaborative Grantees, and the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation RRGP Grantee Network. Sustainability Division staff also presented at two statewide conference sessions, the California Chapter APA Conference in Monterey and the 2025 California Climate and Energy Collaborative (CCEC) Forum in San Jose, reaching 350+ planning and climate leaders. The CAAP also received the Sacramento Valley Section APA Award of Excellence in the Resilience and Sustainability category (May 2025) and the Beacon Award from the Institute for Local Government (November 2025). 
  
2026-2027 PRIORITIES 
  
Building on Year One progress, the Sustainability Division and its Green Team partners have identified 66 priority action across 29 measures to advance in 2026 and 2027, spanning all 10 CAAP strategies. 

This item reflects ongoing collaboration with the Green Team (including representatives from CAO, DGS, DCS, HHSA, DFS, Ag), Yolo Resource Conservation District, Valley Clean Energy, De Colores Resource Center, Cool Davis, Earth Advantage, Center for Land-Based Learning, Catholic Charities Yolo-Solano, Davis Bike Campaign, Yolo Food Bank, YoloArts/YoloSol, Breathe California, and the Yolo County Regional Resilience Collaborative.