NEW Foster City's 2026 Sustainable Living Guide
and Kids' Guide to Living Green Coloring & Activity Book
Download Foster City's NEW 2026 Sustainable Living Guide. The Guide is filled with over 100 tips and ideas to help you live a more sustainable life.
Download the Foster City Kids' Guide to Living Green Coloring & Activity Book, which has tips for kids and fun activities.
C-L.2.1.1: Coordinate and integrate climate adaptation planning consistently throughout related City plans, including but not limited to the General Plan and its Safety Element, Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), sea level rise adaptation plans, and emergency and capital improvement plans.
C-L.2.1.2: Ensure fair and robust inclusion of lower-income households and diverse communities in the planning and response to climate change impacts, including sea level rise, wildfire, public health, and emergency preparedness.
C-L.2.1.3: Seek opportunities to increase the City's tree canopy to combat extreme heat.
C-L.1.1.1: Encourage all new municipal buildings and facilities to meet a minimum LEED Silver standard as outlined by the US Green Building Council or equivalent green building rating system. Encourage feasibility studies for zero net energy use, on-site renewable energy generation, and on-site batteries for municipal buildings and facilities.
C-L.1.1.2: Track and report progress towards achieving the City’s greenhouse gas reduction goal - updating a Climate Action Dashboard for Community use.
C-L.1.1.3: Regularly benchmark the environmental performance of municipal buildings, landscaping, parks, and facilities, including energy and water use.
C-L.1.1.4: Prepare an inventory of emissions from municipal operations every five years, establish a GHG reduction target, and develop a work plan to reduce municipal emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
C-L.1.1.5: Seek funding opportunities to support implementation of greenhouse gas reduction projects, exploring grant funding, rebates, and other incentive opportunities.
C-L.1.1.6: Create robust education and marketing Climate Action Programs to support the Community’s sustainability goals.
W-C.1.2.1: Align with and exceed SB 1383 requirements to procure and apply 2,500 tons of compost annually by 2030.
W-C.1.2.2: Collaborate with San Mateo County to identify locations to apply compost if locations within the City cannot be identified.
W-C.1.1.1: Achieve increased waste diversion through a combination of efforts, including promoting traditional recycling and organics recycling and local enforcement of recycling requirements.
W-C.1.1.2: Regular residential and commercial waste audits and characterization studies are required to identify opportunities for increased diversion and track progress in meeting targets.
W-C.1.1.3: Promote reuse, repair, and recycling of inorganic materials and encourage reduced use of packaging and single-use items through engagement campaigns.
W-C.1.1.4: Consider adopting a City policy to require all City Events (those sponsored by or using City facilities) to be zero-waste events.
W-C.1.1.5: Embark on an educational campaign to increase recycling, composting, reuse, and waste reduction within municipal operations at public facilities.
T-L.3.1.1: Adopt a mobility priority policy with the General Plan as follows: 1) walk (persons with disabilities, pedestrians); 2) micromobility (including bicycles); 3) transit and shuttle; 4) drop-off and pick-up (ride share and taxi); and 5) auto (motorcycle, carpool/ vanpool, carshare, and SOV).
T-L.3.1.2: Promote safe bicycling and micromobility through outreach channels and partner agencies, including e-bikes, electric scooters, and electric skateboards.
T-L.3.1.3: Continue regional collaboration efforts to establish a bike and/or scooter share program.
T-L.3.1.4: Enhance City policies to promote shared electric bikes and scooters
T-L.3.1.5: Pilot a program to provide free or reduced-price access to e-bikes or other micro-mobility options to low-income residents and students.
T-L.3.1.6: Continue supporting the Safe Routes to School Program and strive to increase bicycling, walking, carpooling, and public transit to school.
T-L.3.1.7: Improve curb management to prioritize rideshare parking/loading zones, scooter and bike share docks, bike parking, EV charging stations, and autonomous vehicle loading zones.
T-L.2.2.1: Use code enforcement to help support CARB’s Small Offroad Engine (SORE) ban on fossil fuel equipment use.
T-L.2.2.2: Develop an off-road incentive and technical assistance program for SORE users transitioning to ZEV.
T-L.2.1.1: Increase community knowledge of rebates and incentives for ZEV adoption.
T-L.2.1.2: As the state provides information, document the number of new-vehicle registrations for passenger vehicles that are for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), including plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, as a means of evaluating outreach effectiveness and in preparation for the State of California’s restriction on the sale of gas-powered automobiles by 2035.
T-L.2.1.3: Institute and/or promote financial incentives that encourage using ZEVs and discourage using vehicles with internal combustion engines.
T-L.2.1.4: Pursue opportunities to expand the City’s EV charging network by first identifying suitable Level 2 and DC fast charging locations on public land.
T-L.2.1.5: Facilitate public-private partnerships and streamline permits to install 313 publicly accessible EV chargers in Foster City by 2030.
T-L.2.1.6: Participate in regional and coordinated local procurement, outreach, and planning initiatives.
T-L.1.1.1: Work with Commute.org and SamTrans to maximize ridership by making transit more frequent, accessible, cost-beneficial, and convenient through the expansion and/or improvement of transit routes, schedules, and bus shelters.
T-L.1.1.2: Work with all business owners to provide “first and last mile” programs to maximize utilization of public transit.
T-L.1.1.3: Continue collaborating with transit and transportation operators to develop shorter route shuttle programs serving residents, similar to Commute.org’s shuttle program.
T-L.1.1.4: Continue working with Commute.org, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) to promote transportation demand programs to local employers, including rideshare matching programs, vanpool incentive programs, emergency ride home programs, telecommuting, transit use discounts and subsidies, showers and changing facilities, bicycle racks and lockers, and other incentives to use transportation other than single-occupant vehicles.
T-L.1.1.5: Work with MTC to identify and notify non-compliant businesses in Foster City and encourage their participation in providing transportation demand management programs.
T-L.1.1.6: Continue to require program support through City Development Agreements and Conditions of Approval.
E-W.3.1.1: Continue to promote water conservation programs and incentives.
E-W.2.4.1: Adopt a single margin source energy score that exceeds state minimums for all applicable building types during the Foster City Building Code 2025 cycle.
E-W.2.3.1: Until PCE's ECOplus becomes 100% renewable (estimated by 2025), promote and expand the community’s participation in Peninsula Clean Energy’s ECO100 product.
E-W.2.3.2: Collaborate with PCE and community-based organizations to conduct educational outreach to maintain the reduced opt-out rate levels in the community
E-W.2.2.1: Adopt amendments to the Foster City Building Code for Green Building, Energy, and Plumbing during the Foster City Building Code 2025 cycle including a two-way air conditioning ordinance
E-W.2.2.2: Develop and implement a community-wide education and outreach campaign to provide information, incentives, benefits, and technical support for building electrification to increase voluntary adoption of all-electric technologies.
E-W.2.2.3: Work with clean energy providers like PCE and local installers to provide technical support to residents and businesses needing to replace gas appliances upon burnout.
E-W.2.2.4: Advocate for and require that financial incentive programs for electrification address fixed-income households (senior and non-senior), multi-family apartments, and restricted affordable residential units.
E-W.2.2.5: Promote awareness and understanding of electrification options to the construction industry and the community through education and outreach and community partners.
E-W.2.2.6: Work with the County and regional partners, as appropriate, to create and/or implement a Home Ambassador electrification program and promote the program to the community.
E-W.2.2.7: Incentivize electric panel upgrades in existing residential and office buildings to accommodate all-electric technologies.
E-W.2.1.1: Provide financial incentives for solar PV and battery storage installations.
E-W.2.1.2: Encourage bulk purchases such as the Peninsula SunShares Program.
E-W.2.1.3: Provide free assistance for project developers through the Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) and interconnection process.
E-W.2.1.4: Update building codes, design guidelines, and zoning ordinances, as necessary, to further facilitate small, medium, and large-scale installations, where appropriate.
E-W.2.1.5: Encourage installation of solar panels over parking areas on commercial projects and large-scale residential developments through ordinances, engagement campaigns, or agency incentives.
E-W.2.1.6: Identify and promote financing and loan programs for residential and non-residential projects.
E-W.2.1.7: Study opportunities and specific action steps for expansion of municipal rooftop solar and battery storage.
E-W.2.1.8: Provide education and outreach to stakeholders, including businesses, residents, and contractors, on the benefits of pairing battery storage with solar PV systems at City information centers like the permit counters.
E-W.1.2.1: Periodically conduct energy efficiency audits at City buildings and facilities and implement recommended energy efficiency projects.
E-W.1.1.1: Market participation in commercial energy efficiency programs offered by SMC Energy Watch and PG&E.
E-W.1.1.2: Promote appliance rebate programs offered by Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE), PG&E, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).
E-W.1.1.3: Continue and expand participation in energy efficiency programs as they become available.
E-W.1.1.4: Promote utility, state, and federal rebate and incentive programs.
E-W.1.1.5: Participate and promote financing and loan programs for residential and non-residential projects such as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs, PG&E on-bill repayment, and California Hub for Energy Efficiency Financing (CHEEF) programs.
E-W.1.1.6: Through outreach and education, provide guidance to renters on how to obtain energy usage and efficiency information for rental units
E-W.1.1.7: Promote energy audits for all residential, commercial, and municipal buildings through education and outreach.
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