CUPERTINO, CA — The City of Cupertino is being recognized today, by globally renowned nonprofit environmental organization CDP, as one of 123 cities and counties across the globe that demonstrates the highest levels of leadership on environmental action and transparency, despite the pressures of a challenging global economic situation. This is a notable achievement by the community, City Council, Sustainability Commission, and all committed stakeholders in Cupertino.

Designed to encourage and support local governments to ramp up their climate action and ambition, CDP’s Cities A List is based on environmental data disclosed by local governments to CDP-ICLEI Track. This year, just over one in 10 local governments scored by CDP (12% of such local governments) received an A. CDP is a nonprofit organization that runs the global disclosure system for cities, states, regions, companies, and investors to manage their environmental impacts. The world’s economy looks to CDP as the gold standard of environmental reporting with the most comprehensive data on city and corporate action.

“Congratulations to Cupertino for earning a spot on the CDP Cities A List – one of 49 cities and counties in North America to make the list in 2022,” said Katie Walsh, Head of Cities, States, Regions and Public Authorities for CDP North America. “From mitigating carbon emissions in line with science, to building resilience against floods, drought and other climate hazards, to centering marginalized and vulnerable communities in their response, A List local governments are demonstrating best-practice environmental action. Cupertino is in the vanguard of cities and counties leading the way toward a climate-safe future.”

To score an A, among other actions, a local government must disclose publicly through CDP-ICLEI Track, have a community-wide emissions inventory, and have published a climate action plan. In addition, the government agency must also complete a climate risk and vulnerability assessment and have a climate adaptation plan to demonstrate how it will tackle climate hazards. Many A List cities and counties are also taking a variety of other leadership actions, such as political commitment from a mayor to tackle climate change.

“We are thrilled that the City's efforts have been recognized by a global organization such as CDP and are honored to be selected for the CDP Cities A List,” said Mayor Darcy Paul. “Cupertino has worked hard to be a leader in climate action. Our City helped to start and since its inception has hosted the board meetings of the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority, which provides significant clean energy options for our region. We are constantly assessing and discussing as a community how to be conscientious and effective environmentalists, and we put our thoughts into action. We will continue that hard work by implementing the CAP 2.0 in our City to reduce our environmental impact. We are pleased to receive this recognition and look forward to contributing to a cleaner, healthier future.”

A List cities and counties are demonstrating their climate leadership through concerted and effective action, taking twice as many mitigation and adaptation measures as non-A List municipal governments. A Listers, such as Cupertino, are also celebrated for showing that urgent and impactful climate action is achievable at a global level, and in places with different climate realities and priorities.

In Cupertino, the Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2.0 that was adopted by the City Council in August 2022 was an instrumental part of our recognition by CDP. The CAP 2.0 outlines the next generation of strategies to achieve a carbon-neutral city by 2040. The plan is comprehensive of all sectors of the local economy including clean energy, transportation, zero waste, working with nature, and adapting to climate change.

The City is already started on the implementation of the CAP 2.0 and will continue to improve the ways we engage with residents and businesses in the critical next decade of climate action. Find more on the City’s Climate Action Plan at cupertino.org/climateaction.