photo of estuary at Crissy Field at sunset

Sustainability and Resilience

We believe: The region should be environmentally just, carbon-neutral,
and resilient to climate change and earthquakes.

Our Goals

• Decarbonize buildings.

• Make the region resilient to sea level rise and other climate-driven natural disasters.

• Improve communities’ resilience to earthquakes.

transect of a bayshore neighborhood with ground water beneath the soil

SPUR Report

Look Out Below

Bay Area cities planning for sea level rise need to address another emerging hazard: groundwater rise. Our case study on East Palo Alto offers recommendations applicable to other vulnerable communities along the San Francisco Bay shore.
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illustration of houses plugging into the electricity grid

SPUR Report

Closing the Electrification Affordability Gap

New Bay Area regulations are ushering in a transition from polluting gas furnaces and water heaters to zero-emissions electric heat pumps. SPUR’s action plan shows how to make this transition affordable for low-income households.
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photo of Ocean Beach in San Francisco

Initiative

Ocean Beach Master Plan

San Francisco's Ocean Beach faces significant challenges. SPUR led a public process to develop a comprehensive vision to address sea level rise, protect infrastructure, restore coastal ecosystems, and improve public access.
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historic photo of houses damaged in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Initiative

The Resilient City

We know that another major earthquake will strike San Francisco — we just don’t know when. SPUR's Resilient City Initiative recommends steps the city should take before, during, and after the next big quake.
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Updates and Events

Joseph Bodovitz

Remembering Joe Bodovitz

News /
SPUR’s first deputy director, Joseph Bodovitz, died on March 9, 2024, at age 93, following a very influential career in public service and environmental protection. A remembrance by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission observed, “Nobody in the entire State of California was more influential in developing California’s coastal zone management policies than Joe Bodovitz.” And it all started at SPUR.

SPUR supports SB 1095, the Cozy Homes Cleanup Act

Advocacy Letter
SPUR and our partners support SB 1095 (Becker, 2024) which updates code ambiguities to ensure individuals can switch from gas to electric appliances, allowing Californians to opt for cozier and healthier zero-emission homes.
Erie Street, Oakland

An Affordable Transition to Zero-Pollution, Climate-Friendly Homes in the Bay Area

News /
A first-in-the-nation air quality standard for home heating equipment will dramatically improve the Bay Area's air quality, save lives, and help the state meet its climate goals. What will ensure that everyone can afford healthy, efficient, and carbon-free heat pumps? SPUR lays out how to use funding, financing, and market development to ensure heat pumps are affordable through 2027 and beyond.

Joint Letter to the CPUC on Supporting Flexibility in Energization Timelines

Advocacy Letter
SPUR and its partners submitted a joint letter to the CPUC in Rulemaking R2401018 on Energization Timelines urging energy division staff to address service upgrades in their rulemaking (in addition to new construction and EV charging). The letter also encourages the CPUC to adopt timelines that reflect the outcomes of best practices.
Report cover with illustration of houses plugging into electric energy

Closing the Electrification Affordability Gap

SPUR Report
New Bay Area regulations are ushering in a transition from gas furnaces and water heaters to electric-powered heat pumps, which heat air and water without emitting harmful pollutants, use far less energy, and would greatly reduce the region’s carbon emissions. A major challenge in adopting heat pumps is that, for now, they cost more to install. SPUR’s detailed action plan shows how incentives and electrical code changes can help the Bay Area make this transition affordable for low-income households.

Public Comment Letter on Tri-City Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

Advocacy Letter
SPUR, Save the Bay, and Greenbelt Alliance jointly submitted public comment on the Draft 2024 Tri-City Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) update covering City of Newark, City of Fremont, City of Union City, Alameda County Water District and Union Sanitary District. We are pleased to see that the draft addressed climate impacts like sea level rise, urban heat, flooding, wildfires, and earthquakes. Our letter to the Tri-City LHMP planning committee asks for more specificity in the sea level rise, flood, earthquake, and multi-hazard resilience policies and a greater emphasis on nature-based solutions and preserving natural resources.
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