Environmental Initiatives Plan

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In 2022, the City Council outlined Environmental Initiatives as one of eight priorities for the year. In response, staff drafted an Environmental Initiatives Plan (EIP) and strategy to replace the outdated Environmental Sustainability Plan and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory, which were adopted by the City Council in February 2010 and later updated as part of the Green for Life Program in September 2015.

The EIP was developed by inventorying current internal sustainability-related projects, as well as researching other cities’ plans and projects. As part of the plan, staff developed a project tracker where City-wide sustainability-related projects are added and updated quarterly.

Two goals outlined in the EIP are to update the City’s GHG Inventory and consider hiring a consultant to develop a formal environmental initiatives plan. In 2024, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) began working on a regional Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) for which Palm Desert would be a beneficiary of. Once the CCAP is completed, which is anticipated in the second quarter of 2025, the City will have an up-to-date GHG inventory and its own climate action plan. This will not only achieve the goals outlined in the EIP but will also make the City eligible for certain grant funding it may otherwise not qualify for.


In 2022, the City Council outlined Environmental Initiatives as one of eight priorities for the year. In response, staff drafted an Environmental Initiatives Plan (EIP) and strategy to replace the outdated Environmental Sustainability Plan and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory, which were adopted by the City Council in February 2010 and later updated as part of the Green for Life Program in September 2015.

The EIP was developed by inventorying current internal sustainability-related projects, as well as researching other cities’ plans and projects. As part of the plan, staff developed a project tracker where City-wide sustainability-related projects are added and updated quarterly.

Two goals outlined in the EIP are to update the City’s GHG Inventory and consider hiring a consultant to develop a formal environmental initiatives plan. In 2024, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) began working on a regional Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) for which Palm Desert would be a beneficiary of. Once the CCAP is completed, which is anticipated in the second quarter of 2025, the City will have an up-to-date GHG inventory and its own climate action plan. This will not only achieve the goals outlined in the EIP but will also make the City eligible for certain grant funding it may otherwise not qualify for.