Path to 2029

The Air District’s Bay Area Regional Climate Action Plan (BARCAP) is a collaborative roadmap designed to help achieve statewide carbon neutrality by 2045. Through 16 measures targeting sectors like transportation, buildings, and energy, the strategy aims to reduce pollution while fostering economic growth and improving public health, particularly in frontline communities. 

Developed with extensive public input, the plan requires a regional partnership involving over 30 agencies, local governments, and organizations to implement 57 specific actions. BARCAP provides a framework for businesses and residents to work together toward a sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous future. More information is available here.

In 2024, the Air District transformed its approach to enforcement with the Community Benefits Penalty Funds Policy. This groundbreaking initiative ensures that when our air quality regulations are violated, the resulting penalties do not just sit in a general fund - they are reinvested directly into the communities most impacted by pollution.

Through the Bay REPAIR (Reinvesting Penalties for Air Improvement and Resilience) program, enforcement actions have already generated over $132 million for local and regional projects. As of early 2026, the first round of grant applications is open to distribute $95 million, focusing on communities like Benicia and Richmond. Grants are offered in three tiers:

• Seed Grants: $100k–$200k for community-led projects.
• Opportunity Grants: $500k–$5M for collaborative partnerships.
• Catalyst Grants: $10M–$40M for large-scale, multi-project collaborations.

The Air District is deepening community partnerships to ensure residents directly shape the air quality solutions affecting their neighborhoods. This strategy builds on the success of the AB 617 Program, which resulted in comprehensive emission reduction plans in West Oakland, Richmond-North Richmond-San Pablo and East Oakland, while continuing planning efforts in Bayview Hunters Point/Southeast San Francisco. By documenting and duplicating these and other collaborative models and others, we are expanding community involvement into critical areas like refinery regulations, enforcement policy, climate action planning, and accessible air monitoring data.

Our partnerships with community go beyond traditional outreach to include active working groups that advise on technical rules, policies, and data transparency. From establishing a Climate Advisory Group to co-developing particle fallout sampling programs, the Air District is integrating community knowledge across all our strategic goals. This collective approach ensures that our work is grounded in local priorities, leading to more equitable and effective air quality protection.

• Stronger Regulations & Minimized Flaring (Strategies 1.02, 1.03): The Refinery Technical Working Group advises on strengthening flaring rules and fenceline air monitoring.
• New Enforcement Policy (Strategy 1.06): A dedicated working group is building a new enforcement policy rooted in environmental justice and equity.
• Climate Solutions (Strategy 1.07): The Climate Advisory Group established principles for the Bay Area Regional Climate Action Plan.
• Community Data (Strategies 2.02, 2.03): Community partners are doing community air monitoring and are working to make air quality data more accessible.
• Air Quality Incidents (Strategy 4.08): A new workgroup is developing a particle fallout sampling program in the refinery corridor to track air pollution events.

In partnership with Communities for a Better Environment and UC Berkeley, the Air District is leading a groundbreaking study to measure air quality in East Oakland with unprecedented detail.

A Two-Pronged Approach

A Neighborhood Sensor Network: In 2025, in partnership with Communities for a Better Environment and the University of California-Berkeley, we deployed 56 air sensors that measure fine particulate matter (like in woodsmoke) and 30 filtration units directly into the hands of residents. This network provides real-time data while empowering families with air purifiers and stipends to protect their homes during smoke events.

The Mobile Monitoring Van: Our high-tech "lab on wheels" spent over 32 days driving across East Oakland. By measuring pollutants every single second, the van can pinpoint "hotspots" near factories, highways, and community hubs that standard air monitoring stations might miss.

Turning Data into Action

By combining high-resolution data with local knowledge from the East Oakland Community Steering Committee, we can identify where pollution is coming from. Whether it's tracing a specific chemical or monitoring wind patterns, this data allows us to take targeted action to hold polluters accountable.

What’s Next: We are currently analyzing the findings with the community. A full report and public dataset will be released in Summer 2026.

We are transforming how we support and develop the Air District’s workforce, moving from traditional processes to a culture of continuous learning and relationship-building. By modernizing our digital tools and fostering internal connectivity, we are ensuring every employee feels informed, connected, and empowered to contribute to our shared mission.

A Seamless Start: We have reimagined the "First Day" experience to ensure every new hire feels connected to our mission immediately. Alongside a refreshed orientation and quarterly “One Air District” onboarding sessions, we have updated orientation materials to help new employees quickly grasp the organization’s structure and goals.

Cultivating a "One Air District" Community: To foster a unified culture, we are broadening internal knowledge through dynamic new communication channels. This includes the launch of a refreshed staff newsletter, the “Airwaves” video news series, and a new internal directory to help colleagues learn more about one another across divisions.

Empowering Growth through Mentorship & Shadowing: Knowledge-sharing is one of our greatest assets. We successfully expanded our mentoring program to 60 active participants and are now developing a comprehensive job shadowing program. This initiative will allow employees to experience the work of their peers firsthand, broadening their understanding of organizational challenges and opportunities.

Building a Culture of Learning: We are providing the tools our staff needs to lead. Our new Managers’ Learning Academy, specialized supervisor training, and Emerging Leaders Academy are all in motion. To support these efforts, we are also piloting internal collaboration hubs and creating a centralized 5-year training plan to make development accessible to everyone.

Strengthening Professional Relationships: To improve organizational culture, we’ve implemented “employee spotlights” at all-staff meetings and hosted multiple coffee chats and social events, including heritage celebrations. Looking ahead, a new staff ambassador program will further strengthen these cross-departmental bonds.

Performance with a Purpose: We have transformed the annual review process to align with strategic objectives, offering Individualized Development Plans to encourage personal growth. As we finalize these improvements, we are creating internal communication plans to highlight key program milestones and employee achievements, while shifting focus toward a Succession Planning Framework for the next generation of leaders.

For businesses and community members alike, the permitting process at the Air District can sometimes feel like a complex maze. We are changing that narrative. By adopting a "customer-first" mindset, the Air District is transforming its regulatory framework into a service-oriented model that prioritizes speed, clear communication, and better reliability.

Speeding Up Success: Timely Decisions

We know that in the Bay Area, time is a critical resource. Under Strategy 4.01 Timely Permits, the Air District is actively cutting the red tape that leads to project delays. We have identified and are now addressing regulatory 'bottlenecks' by updating requirements for high-volume equipment, such as backup generators. Notably, we have cleared the backlog and successfully eliminated the logjam of health risk assessments (HRAs), significantly accelerating the permitting process for many permit applications.

Finally, we are building internal digital dashboards to track every application like a high-priority package. To ensure no project gets stuck in the queue, we are hiring more technical staff and forming dedicated "Project Teams" for complex permits. Our goal is simple: a permit process that keeps pace with the needs of the Bay Area.

Clarity at Your Fingertips: A Transparent Process

A high-quality service experience depends on the ability to track progress. Under Strategy 4.02 Transparent Permit Process, the Air District is modernizing its digital interface to provide exactly that. Applicants can now access real-time status updates directly from a new web portal, saving time for applicants and Air District staff. And we will continuously add new features to enhance accountability and predictability in the permitting process.

We are also redesigning our permitting website to be more intuitive and exploring AI-assisted tools to provide instant answers to status questions. For the broader community, a public-facing permit map is in development to provide a clear geographic view of local activity. By replacing technical jargon with plain language, we are ensuring that the process is accessible to everyone, not just industry experts.

A Promise of Fairness: Consistent and Reliable Results

Good service requires a predictable outcome. Strategy 4.03 Consistent Permits ensures that the "rules of the road" are clear, fair, and applied the same way every time. We are currently convening a permitting taskforce, comprised of various industry experts and community voices, to resolve long-standing ambiguity that could lead to confusion or other challenges.

To support this consistency, we are auditing our permitting processes and have developed preliminary guidelines for testing systematic civil rights compliance checks. We have also created a new "Consistency Coordinator" role to standardize our permit handbook and internal training, to ensure every applicant receives the same high level of professional service and that every community receives the protection they deserve.

Empowering Our People: A Customer-First Culture

Great service is only possible through a highly skilled and responsive team. Under Strategy 4.07 Customer Service, we are investing in professional development to ensure better outcomes for the public. By strengthening both technical knowledge and communication skills, our staff will be equipped to offer better guidance that can reduce the "back-and-forth" often associated with complex applications, effectively streamlining the process for applicants. Our commitment to customer service also ensures that highly technical air quality regulations are translated into understandable, accessible information for small business owners and community members alike.