Plans and Climate

Updated 9/24/2026

Learn about air quality plans, efforts to reduce climate change and engage our communities, and tools and resources for local governments to reduce air pollution and its related climate and health impacts.

New 9/24/2026

The Air District works to improve air quality and protect the climate through equitable, transparent, and innovative policies, plans, and programs. In partnership with regional and local governments, communities, and the public, our work seeks to address disproportionate public health impacts and longstanding environmental injustices.

Beginning with the Air District’s CARE Program, continuing with the Planning Healthy Places (PHP)(1 Mb PDF, 46 pgs, posted 9/24/2026) guidebook, and more recently with the AB 617 Community Health Protection Program and Planning Healthy Places 2.0(2 Mb PDF, 36 pgs, posted 9/24/2026) the Air District has spent considerable resources to understand where, when, and how people are exposed to air pollution, including disparate impacts from a variety of sources including lesser understood sources of community concern, while continuing to address state and federal air quality standards. The Air District has also advanced regional initiatives such as publishing CEQA Guidelines and development of the Bay Area’s first climate action plan for the Northern and Central Bay Area region, the Bay Area Regional Climate Action Plan (BARCAP), and contributes to regional planning initiatives such as MTC’s Plan Bay Area.

Climate protection is also at the forefront of the Air District's work. The Air District's climate protection work has included innovative climate protection grants, building decarbonization work, and GHG inventories. An example of a connection between air quality and climate is the effort to reduce a variant of particulate matter known as black carbon. Such a strategy can help slow the rate of atmospheric heating, while also protecting air quality and public health, providing a valuable co-benefit. The Air District's Local Government Support Program seeks to champion clean air and climate protection by working in partnership with local governments to advance policies and plans to equitably address air quality, climate, and health impacts.

Featured Programs

BARCAP

The Air District has received funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, or CPRG, to lead a five-county climate action planning process to position the region to compete for $4.3 billion in implementation funding available in early 2024. Learn more about the multi-year planning effort, referred to as Bay Area Regional Climate Action Planning Initiative (BARCAP).

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Local Government Support Program

The Local Government Support Program (LGSP) is tailored to the needs of local government, offering data and mapping tools, models and guidance on plans, policy, as well as funding and other types of implementation support – all informed by the unique challenges faced by local governments.

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AB 617 Program

The Air District’s Community Health Protection Program, implementing Assembly Bill 617, uses a community partnership model to collaborate with Bay Area communities most impacted by air pollution to develop and implement new strategies to reduce air pollution and related health impacts.

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