Mitigation and adaptation to climate change in San Diego County, California

The latest IPCC report states that it is unequivocally clear that human actions are the most prominent cause of present day global warming and climate change. While alarming, this news has mobilized nations, cities, and communities across the world to engage in an array of mitigation and adaptation activities. Our research focuses on San Diego County, CA, USA, to answer two major questions regarding mitigation and adaptation measures being taken in the region: (1) What climate change mitigation and adaptation activities have taken place, are underway, and are planned for the future in San Diego County? (2) How successful and effective have these activities been at meeting their objectives to mitigate climate change or adapt to the impacts of climate change? Through a mixed-methods online survey, we gathered responses from 28 climate change experts throughout San Diego County to ensure a cross-sectoral perspective of the actions being taken. Results document 39 different mitigation and/or adaptation activities taking place in San Diego County. Notably, the majority of activities were reported to be effective at meeting their mitigation and/or adaptation objectives and to be of high priority. However, the effectiveness of projects was not uniform across sectors, and respondents also highlighted challenges and areas for improvement. Based on our results, we provide three key recommendations: (1) improve communication and coordination across sectors, (2) ensure that adaptation activities are also a priority alongside mitigation, and (3) include environmental and climate justice issues in mitigation and adaptation activities.