The Town's Climate Actions

Climate Action Plan

In December 2020, the Town of Corte Madera updated its Climate Action Plan (CAP), which outlines strategies to reduce communitywide greenhouse gas emissions. The CAP aims to reduce emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, in line with the State of California’s goals. The Town’s Climate Action Committee advises the Town Council on implementation of the CAP.

For an overview of Corte Madera’s CAP, see the linked video or slides below from consultant Christine O’Rourke, who prepared the CAP.

Reach Codes
Jurisdictions across Marin County are taking local action to reduce natural gas use in buildings through policies known as reach codes. Corte Madera recently adopted an all-electric ordinance for new construction and is considering additional reach codes that would apply to remodels and additions. See the resources below for more information.

• Learn about Corte Madera’s current green building codes, effective January 1, 2023. The Town is considering updates to its green building code to increase energy savings in single-family residential remodels and incentivize electric vehicle adoption.
• Review the model reach codes developed by Marin County for the 2022 code adoption cycle.
• Read the Marin County Grand Jury report on building electrification from June 2022 and Corte Madera’s response to the report.

Greening Town Facilities

• The Town recently replaced 5 gas-powered water heaters with electric heat pump water heaters.
• The Town is currently building a new Town Hall facility, which will be a Zero Net Energy (ZNE) and Zero Net Carbon (ZNC) building.
• In 2022, the Town retrofitted all streetlight fixtures with LED bulbs, which are highly energy efficient.
• The Corporation Yard and Community Center had solar and battery backup systems installed in 2021.
• The Town has purchased 100% renewable electricity for Town buildings through MCE Clean Energy’s Deep Green program since 2017.

Green Transportation

Increasing Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Opportunities

• The Town has adopted additional electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure requirements for new construction to facilitate the adoption of EVs. Learn more on the Green Building Codes and Resources page.
• Staff, as well as the Town's Climate Action Committee, is evaluating locations to install more public EV charging stations as part of the 2023-2024 Climate Action Work Plan.

Greening Town Mobility

• The Town is electrifying its vehicle fleet, which currently includes 5 electric vehicles (EVs). The Town received rebates from the California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) and the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) to help fund the purchase of these EVs.
• In addition to electric vehicles, Town staff have an e-bike for shorter trips.

Marin Climate and Energy Partnership (MCEP)

The Town participates in the Marin Climate and Energy Partnership (MCEP), a partnership of all Marin cities and towns, the County of Marin, and the public agencies that serve Marin: MCE Clean Energy, Marin Water, and the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM). MCEP members collaborate on initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as green building codes and electric vehicle charging infrastructure plans. Visit MCEP’s website to learn more about regional efforts, other jurisdiction’s Climate Action Plans, and to track countywide progress on sustainability metrics.

MCEP’s Marin Sustainability Tracker map allows monitoring progress on GHG reductions, energy, transportation, waste, and water.