Climate Advisory Board
San Diego Municipal Code § 26.40
in effect§26.40 Climate Advisory Board
(a) Purpose and Intent
It is the purpose and intent of the City Council to establish a Climate Advisory Board to serve as an advisory body to the Mayor and the City Council on policies and issues related to climate, environment, environmental justice, energy justice, climate equity, sustainability, and energy policy for the City of San Diego and to assist the City in implementing the Climate Action Plan and attaining the City’s stated goals in these areas. The Board shall develop a cooperative and supportive atmosphere on behalf of the climate, environmental, renewable energy and environmental justice stakeholders and communities in relation to the City and its implementation of the Climate Action Plan, climate equity programs, sustainability efforts, renewable energy development, and related activities.
(b) Climate Advisory Board Established
There is hereby established a Climate Advisory Board consisting of 15 members, who shall serve without compensation. The members shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council.
(c) Qualification of Members
(1) In nominating, appointing, and confirming members, the Mayor and City Council shall give preference to those: having expertise in decarbonization, mobility or planning, land use, public health related to climate change, climate or environmental science, or finance or economics; or those representing labor organizations, the renewable energy industry, environmental or energy justice organizations, zero waste or circular economy, as those terms are used in the Climate Action Plan, the clean technology industry, youth climate leadership, or citizen of a federally recognized tribe. For purposes of this section, environmental or energy justice organizations mean organizations that address historical inequities suffered by people of color and marginalized communities to allow everyone to fairly share the same benefits and burdens of climate solutions and development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies to attain full and equal access to opportunities, and youth climate leadership means a person 25 years of age or younger with a demonstrated leadership role in climate change advocacy.
(2) The Mayor shall appoint six members, giving preference to those with the qualifications set forth in section 26.40(c)(1) above.
(3) The Mayor shall appoint the remaining nine members to represent each Council district based on nominations provided by each Councilmember. Preference shall be given to nominees with the qualifications set forth in section 26.40(c)(1) above.
(4) Board membership should generally be representative of San Diego’s demographic composition, including diversity of background and experience. At least five members should primarily reside or work in Communities of Concern, as designated by the City’s Climate Equity Index.
(5) No member shall be employed by or otherwise contracted or hired by, or serve on the board of directors of, any for-profit businesses serving in a major contracting role with the City of San Diego. For purposes of this section, major contracting role means major public works contracts; contracts for goods or contracts for services that provide for expenditure of an amount greater than $1,000,000 as awarded; consultant contracts that provide for expenditure of an amount greater than $500,000 as awarded; any franchise agreement or contract pursuant to Charter sections 103, 103.1, 104, and 105, or any combination of major public works contracts, minor public works contracts, contracts for goods, contracts for services, or consultant contracts, when the sum of expenditures for such contracts exceeds $3,000,000. The terms major public works contract, minor public works contract, contract for goods, contract for services, and consultant contract have the same meaning as in San Diego Municipal Code section 22.3003.
(d) Terms
(1) Members shall serve two-year terms, and each member shall serve until a successor is duly appointed and confirmed. Members are limited to a maximum of eight consecutive years. Appointments shall be made in such a manner that the terms of not more than eight members shall expire in any year.
(2) Initial members shall be appointed in a manner to allow the terms to be staggered. For the initial appointments, eight members shall be appointed to two-year terms, and seven members shall be appointed to one-year terms. Initial appointments that are less than the full term of two years shall not have the initial term count for purposes of the eight-year limit.
(3) The expiration date of all terms shall be August 1. Any vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term.
(4) The Board shall select from among its members a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and any other positions it chooses to define.
(“Climate Advisory Board” added 3-17-2023 by O-21624 N.S.; effective 4-16-2023.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter02/Ch02Art06Division00.pdf#page=19Fetched: 10/28/2026