Budget Cuts Would Gut SF's Climate Team, Threatening $84M Grant Pipeline

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors' Budget & Appropriations Committee convened an urgent, pre-budget hearing on Feb. 25 to confront a stark prospect: the near-total elimination of the Environment Department's capacity to implement the city's Climate Action Plan. Over two hours of testimony from city staff, environmental justice organizations, and health advocates made one thing clear — the fight over $3.4 million in general fund dollars is really a fight over whether San Francisco keeps its climate promises.

• Proposed budget would eliminate ~8 FTE positions from the Environment Department, wiping out the city's climate accountability, building electrification, and EV charging teams

• $84 million in grants at stake — the department has returned $29 for every general fund dollar invested since 2022, a ratio that disappears without staff to pursue and manage awards

• Climate Equity Hub faces shutdown after installing 55 free heat pump water heaters in low-income homes and training 200+ small contractors

• City's entire EV charging coordination team would be eliminated, including oversight of a stalled $15 million federal grant

• Over 20 public commenters unanimously called for restoring $3.4 million in general fund support, representing PODER, Sierra Club, Physicians for Social Responsibility, SOMCAN, the Climate Emergency Coalition, and others

• Hearing continued to the call of the chair, 3-0, keeping pressure on Mayor Lurie's office before the June budget release