What is the Priority Climate Action Plan?

The Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) is a regional roadmap to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, make neighborhoods healthier, and create fairer opportunities for everyone across San Joaquin County. It focuses on real, near-term steps that cities, agencies, and communities can take together while the longer-term Comprehensive Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CCAAP) is developed in early 2026.

PCAP Actions

🚍 Improve Transit Service and Frequency
What does this mean?
Expand and improve local bus and transit systems so it’s easier, safer, and faster for people to get around without driving.

Community benefits:
+ Better access to jobs, schools, and services
+ Less air pollution from cars
+ More affordable transportation options

🚆 Support Rail Expansion
What does this mean?
Strengthen regional train connections — like ACE and Amtrak — and link them with local transit and Bay Area lines.

Community benefits:
+ Shorter commutes and fewer cars on the road
+ Cleaner air and less freeway traffic
+ Easier regional travel for workers and families

🚛 Develop a Regional Clean Freight Plan
What does this mean?
Plan for cleaner trucks, ports, and freight corridors — including charging stations and zero-emission equipment.

Community benefits:
+ Healthier air for neighborhoods near highways and warehouses
+ Jobs in clean-transportation industries
+ Reduced noise and diesel fumes in heavily impacted areas

🛒 Require Sustainable Local-Government Purchasing
What does this mean?
Have city and county governments buy recycled, locally made, or environmentally responsible products whenever possible.

Community benefits:
+ Saves taxpayer dollars over time
+ Cuts waste and supports small and minority-owned local businesses
+ Sets an example for sustainable practices

🐄 Implement Best Practices for Manure Management
What does this mean?
Work with farmers to reduce methane emissions by improving how manure is handled—for example, through composting or digesters that turn waste into renewable energy.

Community benefits:
+ Cleaner air and water in rural communities
+ Potential new farm revenue from renewable biogas
+ Stronger partnerships between agriculture and clean-energy efforts

Why This Matters for the Stockton Region
Together, these actions could cut as much as 55,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year by 2045, while improving air quality and economic opportunity—especially in the neighborhoods that have carried the heaviest pollution burden. Nearly half of the projected benefits will reach these “burdened communities,” ensuring climate solutions are shared equitably.

Important Note: The five actions highlighted in the PCAP are not intended to represent the only climate priorities for the Stockton region. Rather, they reflect five actions that consistently emerged across conversations with municipal partners, community members, and the Climate Action Plan Advisory Committee (CAPAC) as strong, shared areas of agreement. These actions serve as a starting point—early, practical opportunities that demonstrate alignment between local governments and the community while paving the way for the broader set of strategies that will be explored in the forthcoming CCAAP.

This Priority Climate Action Plan is just the start 🌱
We want to know: what actions would make the biggest difference where you live?
💬 Share your thoughts and help shape the next phase of Stockton’s Climate Action Plan!