Leading by Example

The County is with you in the effort to increase sustainability! Contra Costa County is already implementing various plans regarding our buildings, transportation, and programs. We are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our own offices and practices in addition to other reducing emissions around the County.

County Buildings

The County builds and maintains its offices, health centers, fire stations, and other facilities to meet or exceed the Leadership in Energy LEED silver standards.

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Image of County Electric Vehicle Fleet Car

County Fleet

Contra Costa County has been working for several years to reduce the number of vehicles our employees use on the job, and to increase the fuel efficiency of the cars in our fleet. In May 2018, the County was ranked at 63 in the 100 Best Fleets Program, out of 38,000 public fleets across the country. Learn more about the County fleet (PDF). This report from 2019 outlines options for increasing the number of vehicles in the County fleet.

Employee Commute

As part of the update to the County’s Climate Action Plan, the County in 2019 worked with 511 Contra Costa to conduct a survey of County employees regarding how they travel to and from work. The survey found that most employees drive alone and are spending 40-45 minutes on average commuting each day. Two-thirds of County employees would consider alternatives for their work commute, particularly telecommuting and carpools. Primary factors that inform current commute choices are travel time, cost, and flexibility. While a small percentage of employees taking the survey drive electric vehicles currently, over half are considering purchasing an electric vehicle, and 75 percent would like the County to install electric vehicle chargers at County facilities. The Board accepted the report on February 4, 2020, and staff is evaluating options for taking action on recommendations in the report.  

Click here to review the Employee Commute Survey. 

Click here for the Board Order accepting the Employee Commute Survey.

Idle Free Pledge

The County Board of Supervisors and several cities and school districts are going Idle Free! Turning off your engine when you are stopped for 30 seconds or more saves money and makes a big difference for clean air, which is especially important for children and the elderly. Take the Idle Free Pledge!

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Climate Action Plan

The County is updating its Climate Action Plan, as part of the ongoing update to the General Plan. The updated Climate Action Plan will combine and build on the 2008 Municipal Climate Action Plan focused on County operations, and the 2015 Climate Action Plan (PDF)that addresses the larger community. 

If you would like to receive information about updates and other County work related to sustainability, please visit the County's Notify Me page. You will need to log in and go the Sustainability Commission, located under Agenda Center.