HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2604-6205CITY OF PALO ALTO
Climate Action and Sustainability Committee
Friday, April 17, 2026
Agenda Item
2.Status Update on 2026 Communications and Engagement Planned for 2026-2027 S/CAP
Work Plan Items C1, C2, and C3; CEQA Status – Not a Project Late Packet Report Added,
Staff Presentation
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Climate Action and Sustainability Committee
Staff Report
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: April 17, 2026
Report #:2604-6205
TITLE
Status Update on 2026 Communications and Engagement Planned for 2026-2027 S/CAP Work
Plan Items C1, C2, and C3; CEQA Status – Not a Project
This item will be a late packet publication on 4/9/26.
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Climate Action and Sustainability Committee
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: Public Works
Meeting Date: April 17, 2026
Report #:2603-6032
TITLE
Status Update on 2026 Communications and Engagement Planned for 2026-2027 S/CAP Work
Plan Items C1, C2, and C3.
RECOMMENDATION
This is a discussion item; no action or recommendation is requested.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Three distinct 2026-2027 Sustainability/Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) workplan items were
added this year specific to communications and community engagement- Items C1, C2 and C3
(referenced in detail in the Background section).
Advancing strategies within these workplan items:
Creates space for the community to understand how they are connected to the City’s
Sustainability and Climate Action goals
Builds community awareness about what is possible–through City programs, resources
and tools–to create meaningful change one homeowner, business-owner, property
owner, employee, visitor and renter at a time
Leverages partners to extend our work and reach specifically through communication
and engagement
Helps to drive community interest in City programs, ultimately influencing community
action to support S/CAP goals
This staff report shares details on the planned work ahead, including:
updating the City’s S/CAP theme and tagline to continue to unify citywide S/CAP
branding and marketing.
celebrating sustainability milestones to build community awareness,
sharing tools and resources for the community to take action to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, and
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leveraging community partners to extend City S/CAP communications and community
engagement.
BACKGROUND
Communications and engagement are fundamental elements of the 2026-2027
Sustainability/Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) Work Plan, notably to build community awareness,
drive community participation, and celebrate achievements as the plan’s goals support the
whole community.
Based on direction from Council on March 2, 2026, the updated communications-specific
workplan items incorporate additional clarifications as noted below (additions are underlined):
C1. Build Awareness about Sustainability and Climate Action and City Programs Available to
the Community. Achieve widespread awareness about sustainability and climate action, the 80
x 30 goal, City services and programs, achievements and community benefits including the
health benefits of switching to electric appliances. Leverage partnerships with local volunteers
and organizations to drive grassroots outreach helping to build residents, commercial
customers, and contractor awareness. Develop a community engagement tool kit using best
practices reflected in other toolkits such as the San Mateo County plan.
C2. Drive Community Actions to Achieve S/CAP Goals: Run effective marketing and outreach
campaigns, leveraging partnerships that seek to increase program participation and drive
community action in initiatives to achieve S/CAP goals.
C3. S/CAP Data Collection and Annual Reporting: Track community sentiment and
engagement, including key performance indicators, through tools such as surveys and online
analytics, and program analysis to guide decision making. Annually develop, implement, and
report out on S/CAP communications objectives and progress.
Staff utilize several metrics to track and evaluate changes in messaging, and outreach strategies
used, such as:
Digital communications analysis and data tracking through websites, digital landing
pages, and social media
Google and social media advertising
Message testing through digital e-blasts which evaluates effectiveness and sends higher
performing messaging through the platform
Annual community satisfaction survey results, and social media polls and surveys
Community partnership feedback and outreach, such as Youth Climate Action Board
input and Silicon Valley 350 Palo Alto support for outreach/event hosting and resharing
social media posts and print collateral
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ANALYSIS
The City’s overarching sustainability and climate action communications strategies seek to build
community awareness around City goals and progress; offer tangible ways residents and the
broader community can take action to advance communitywide sustainability goals and
celebrate milestones and achievements reaching the S/CAP goals. Since the adoption of the
S/CAP, staff unified S/CAP elements under one brand and tagline, shared progress on goals, and
communicated about programs, services and resources available to residents and businesses to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The City’s communications/marketing approaches and
strategies are broad and vary based on audience. All communications efforts build on each
other using digital tools and printed collateral, leveraging partners, and hosting community
events/workshops to build awareness and influence community action.
Key to the City’s efforts include continuing to communicate milestones, results and progress,
creating community connections to the S/CAP elements and programs, announcing special
promotions, new programs or changes to existing programs, sharing resources/rebates, and
celebrating achievements.
Staff will present a status update on workplan items, including the following:
Updating the City’s S/CAP theme to continue to unify S/CAP branding and marketing
A theme and tagline help building awareness, inspires the community to embrace changes and
influences action to advance sustainability efforts by offering a connection to the S/CAP and
reinforces what’s possible through the City’s goals, priorities and programs. It also provides a
visual reminder of connections between individual program communications and unifying
strategic purpose.
Work underway offers an update to the theme and tagline to better connect the community to
our S/CAP, programs, services and achievements. Last week, staff presented the two
theme/tagline finalists to our Youth Climate Action Board (YCAB). Feedback gained at the YCAB
meeting included:
Consensus and excitement around the final tagline “Sustaining Our Future.” Noted
comments from the YCAB included the theme and tagline is community centered,
connotation of progress and innovation while still connecting to our past and where
we’ve come from
Community connection to actions that support future generations and S/CAP goals
Use of a tree icon to reinforce Palo Alto generally, plus sustainability, and progress
Embraced the use of photos, visuals and branding colors to bring together all S/CAP
elements
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Staff will present our work to date at the committee meeting, along with final tagline details to
gain additional committee input. Throughout 2026, the updated tagline will be used to connect
the S/CAP elements together, build awareness, and inspire community action.
Celebrating sustainability milestones to build community awareness
celebrating the start of construction of the Palo Alto Horizontal Levee Pilot Project
launching a new electrification portal
refreshing the Regional Water Quality Control Plan website, sharing Capital
infrastructure project milestones that support sustainability, climate action and
adaptation
Sharing tools and resources for the community to take action to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions through City programs and services
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advertising, and mailed collateral such as flyers, posters, door hangers, utility bills and lawn
signs to share public information, build awareness and drive community action.
1,160 posts on climate and sustainability through City social media channels
Over 500,000 views on the City’s social media platforms
Climate Action blog series 9 posts with 357 reads
About 50,000 views on Nextdoor posts
8 targeted digital newsletters and eblasts sent with a 52% open rate
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Regular committee communications status updates
Throughout 2026, quarterly informational reports will provide a summary of communications
and engagement efforts and an opportunity to look ahead at work planned for the next
quarter. Tentative timing of these informational updates through committee staff comments
includes a review of Q1 communications results at the May meeting, review of Q2 results in
August, Q3 results in October, and Q4 results summary in February along with 2026 annual
results.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
No funding is being requested. As noted in the work plan adoption, these specific items are fully
staffed and partially funded.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Stakeholder engagement and community outreach are an integral part of S/CAP
implementation and is a component of all S/CAP initiatives. The communications focus of the
2026 and 2027 S/CAP Work Plan includes building widespread awareness about sustainability
and climate action, running effective outreach campaigns to drive community action and
program participation in initiatives to achieve S/CAP goals, and tracking community sentiment
and engagement to guide decision making.
Staff will also continue to advance stakeholder engagement through the Climate Action and
Sustainability Committee, the Climate Action Working Group, Youth Climate Action Board, and
leveraging community partnerships and community connections to extend the City’s outreach
and engagement. Major outreach efforts include Earth Day Festival, utilizing other major events
like May Fete Parade and Fair to share program information and encourage community action
through city programs, signing up for the City’s sustainability newsletter, following the City’s
climate action blog series and more.
Key online resources:
-Electrify My Home
-Electrification Rebate Hub
-Sustainability Goals and Progress
-Sign Up for Sustainability eNews
-Sign Up for Transportation Connect
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This update is for informational purposes with no action requested by the committee, and
therefore it is not a project subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA).
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ATTACHMENTS
APPROVED BY:
1
SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE ACTION COMMUNICATIONS ANALYTICS
January 1, 2025- December 31, 2025
Summary Results
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS
• 1,160 posts across 4 social media platforms including Nextdoor; generally,
25% of total impressions on City channels in 2025
• 9 Climate Action blog posts with 357 reads
• Total Sustainability Newsletters published, with over 52% open rate
• ZeroWaste posts on Instagram with 25,463 views
• Started new effort sharing social media content with community partners to
increase engagement rate
PRINT OUTREACH
• 7 Utility Bill Inserts in 2025
• Thousands of printed flyers and brochures distributed at events and shared
with partners
• Three mailers, one targeted to 750 Heat Pump Water Heater program
participants, two targeted citywide to single family homeowners reaching
approximately 15,200 households
• Lawn sign program launched in the second quarter of 2025
EVENTS & ENGAGEMENT EXAMPLES
• March: State of the City, 300 attendees in person, 441 YouTube views
• April: Earth Day Festival, 750 attendees
• May: Park to Park Ride, 50 attendees
• May: Bike to Work Day/Wherever Days
• May: National River Cleanup Day
• July: MSC Open House, 3,000 attendees
• August: Reach Code Information Sessions
• August: Extreme Heat Summit
• August: Go Electric at Home Webinar
• August: Commercial Heat Pump Water Heater Webinar
• September: Coastal Clean Up
• September: City Hall Open House
• September: Bike/Ped Rail Crossings Workshop
• October: Bike Palo Alto
• October: Heat Pump Happy Hour, 50 attendees
• October: Storm Preparedness Workshop
• November: Green@Home Electric Home Tours
• December: Horizontal Levee Pilot Project Media and Community Tour
• December: Climate Action & Sustainability Workshop - Home Electrification
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Citywide Social Media Analytics
2025 Audience (Followers)
2,068,981 70,004 X 18,555
Facebook 13,814
3% Instagram 9,012
LinkedIn 9,672
Nextdoor 50,888
Sustainability & Climate Action
Social Media Analytics
Definitions
Impressions: Total number of times a post is displayed
Reach*: Unique users who see the content
Engagement: Like, share, comment, click
Engagement Rate: Number of engagements per impression
*Reach is not tracked by the platforms on LinkedIn, X, Nextdoor
Network Impression Reach* Video Views Engagement Rate
Facebook 177,680 106,875 3,382 1.50%
Instagram 231,803 123,891 25,953 1.08%
LinkedIn 52,277 5,119 3.55%
X 84,085 6,738 2.58%
Nextdoor 49,607 0.31%
Totals 545,845 230,766 41,192 2.08%
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Top Social Media Posts
ACEBOOK OST MPRESSIONS
LINKED N IGHEST NGAGEMENT ATE NSTAGRAM OST IDEO IEWS
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Website Analytics
Definitions
Views: Total number of times a page was viewed
Active Users: Total number of users visiting the page
Event Count: Number of actions taken on the page
Website Analytics
Switch Your Water Heater 7511 3953 19802
Rebate Hub 6741 2807 21133
Residential Electrification 6345 2819 15555
Electrification 4421 2635 9786
Electrify Your Drive 3975 2454 10890
Sustainability 2852 1376 7349
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) 2744 1666 7753
EV Chargers for Multi-Family Properties 2609 1495 6861
Consider Solar 1951 1071 5165
Youth Climate Advisory Board 1917 747 5188
EV FAQs 1866 1208 5084
Electric Panel Upgrade 1497 950 4311
Ways to Save 1434 845 3955
Business Customer Rebates 1353 822 3928
Heat Pump Water Heater FAQs 1184 684 2816
Business Electrification 1167 723 2673
Zero Waste 1090 695 2356
Commercial Heat Pump HVAC Program 1025 726 2706
Emissions Reduction Goals and Progress 1009 683 2446
Net Energy Metering (NEM) 2 976 475 2358
Grid Modernization for Electrification 913 560 2502
EV Chargers for Multi-Family Properties and
Non-Profits 880 423 2661
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Email Newsletters & Announcements
Sustainability & Climate Action Focused
• Quarterly sustainability e-newsletter with the potential to reach
3,300 subscribers, noting a high engagement rate/open rate of
over 50%. For reference, government industry average open rate is
between 20-25%.
• Last year’s top e-blast was related to the State TECH incentives,
encouraging heat pump water heater conversions.
Winter
eNews
Spring
eNews
HPWH
TECH
Summer
eNews
HPWH
eblast Fall eNews Refer a
Neighbor
Climate
Workshop
Clicks 92 104 81 89 134 149 24 36
Opens 1753 1745 4431 1704 1617 1695 493 1614
Sends 3392 3373 7487 3368 3412 3349 970 3346
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
Email Newsletters and Announcements
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Medium.com Blog Posts
• 15 topic specific posts
• 2,322 total views
Totals including “Weekly City Manager
Comments” and “In Case You Missed It”
when sustainability and climate action
information was shared:
• 40 posts
• 6,069 views
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Views Reads
APRIL 17, 2026
STATUS UPDATE: SUSTAINABILITY/CLIMATE ACTION PLAN COMMUNICATIONS
Presenter:
Meghan Horrigan-Taylor,
Chief Communications Officer
PaloAlto.gov
APRIL 17, 2026
The purpose of today’s discussion is to share a status
update on 2026 Communications and Engagement Planned
for 2026-2027 S/CAP Work Plan Items C1, C2, and C3.
PURPOSE/OVERVIEW
PaloAlto.gov
TITLE 40 FONT BOLD
Subtitle 32 font
APRIL 17, 2026
Advancing strategies within these workplan items:
•Creates space for the community to understand how they are connected to the City’s
Sustainability and Climate Action goals
•Builds community awareness about what is possible–through City programs,
resources and tools–to create meaningful change one homeowner, business-owner,
property owner, employee, visitor and renter at a time
•Leverages partners to extend our work and reach specifically through communication
and engagement
•Helps to drive community interest in City programs, ultimately influencing community
action to support S/CAP goals
WORKPLAN FOCUS
PaloAlto.gov
TITLE 40 FONT BOLD
Subtitle 32 font
APRIL 17, 2026
C1. Build Awareness about Sustainability and Climate Action and City Programs Available to the Community. Achieve widespread
awareness about sustainability and climate action, the 80 x 30 goal, City services and programs, achievements and community
benefits including the health benefits of switching to electric appliances. Leverage partnerships with local volunteers and
organizations to drive grassroots outreach helping to build residents, commercial customers, and contractor awareness. Develop a
community engagement tool kit using best practices reflected in other toolkits such as the San Mateo County plan. Resource
Availability: Fully staffed, partially funded. Target Completion Date: On-going.
PaloAlto.gov
DISTINCT WORK PLAN ITEMS
C2. Drive Community Actions to Achieve S/CAP Goals: Run effective marketing and outreach campaigns, leveraging partnerships, that
seek to increase program participation and drive community action in initiatives to achieve S/CAP goals. Resource Availability: Fully
staffed, partially funded. Target Completion Date: On-going.
C3. S/CAP Data Collection and Annual Reporting: Track community sentiment and engagement, including key performance indicators,
through tools such as surveys and on-line analytics, and program analysis to guide decision making. Annually develop, implement, and
report out on S/CAP communications objectives and progress. Resource Availability: Fully staffed, partially funded. Target Completion
Date: On-going.
Based on direction from Council on March 2, 2026, the updated communications-specific
workplan items incorporate additional clarifications as noted:
APRIL 17, 2026
Planned work ahead is captured in four priority areas – noted in detail in the staff
report:
1.updating the City’s S/CAP theme and tagline to continue to unify citywide S/CAP
branding and marketing
2.celebrating sustainability milestones to build community awareness
3.sharing tools and resources for the community to take action to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions
4.leveraging community partners to extend City S/CAP communications and
community engagement
PRIORITIES
PaloAlto.gov
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PRIORITY: COMMUNICATIONS & PARTNERS
PaloAlto.gov
Communications & Community Engagement
•Layering digital, print, mailers, and engagement together
Engagement & Leveraging Partners:
•Continue to grow events that draw community interest and engagement
•Extending reach on social media such as Silicon Valley 350 partners and others
•Sharing printed materials for community meetups, neighborhood meetings, etc.
•Engaging teen leaders through Youth Climate Advisory Board, connections to Palo Alto
Youth Council, and Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition
•Lawn signs available now and online toolkit available May 1
APRIL 17, 2026
PRIORITY: STRATEGIES
PaloAlto.gov
Communications and marketing strategies
Celebrating sustainability milestones to build community awareness
•Reaching over 769 heat pump water heater installs
•Major capital infrastructure plans such as City’s Horizontal Levee Pilot Project completion
•Major transportation planning set to expand City’s bicycle/walking network, Zero Vision
campaign, and South Palo Alto Bike/Ped crossing project
APRIL 17, 2026
PRIORITY: STRATEGIES
PaloAlto.gov
Communications and marketing strategies
Sharing tools and resources for the community to
take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
•Launch of the City’s Electrify My Home program,
the next iteration of Heat Pump Water
Heater program now featuring all major appliances
•Sharing events, webinars, tabling opportunities to
ask questions and learn more through compelling
photos and videos of residents of our community
coming together to take action
APRIL 17, 2026
PRIORITY: STRATEGIES
PaloAlto.gov
Communications and marketing strategies
•A key focus continues to be to leveraging community
partners to extend City S/CAP communications and
community engagement
•2025 data dashboard notes a lower engagement of S/CAP
related topics when compared to other community topics of
interest
•Good momentum since as we started 2026, fully staffed to
analyze communications efforts in real time, adapt to
changes in platform performance, and continuing to build
new content, videos, testimonials, etc. to vary approaches
APRIL 17, 2026
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PRIORITY: ANALYSIS/DATA-DRIVEN APPROACHES
PaloAlto.gov
Attachment A/Communications Dashboard looks back at 2025 and will be used as
benchmark to compare and measure future communications and marketing efforts.
APRIL 17, 2026
2025 Benchmark Statistics
•1,160 social media posts, 2%
engagement rate
•500,000+ social media post views
•Climate Action Blog: 9 posts, 357 reads
•8 digital newsletters: 3,450 subscribers,
52% open rate
•Over 78,000 website visits and 205,000
engagements
Metrics Demonstrating Progress Building
Awareness
•Increase social media post engagement
•Grow Sustainability eNews subscribers
•Sustain community blog series reads
•Increase website traffic/visitors to:
Electrification Portal, Sustainability
•Increase engagement at events,
workshops, webinars, etc.
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PRIORITY: MESSAGING
PaloAlto.gov
Communications messaging will continue to focus on tested messages noting
preference to influence action, plus continued focus on health benefits, and more
•Tested community messaging: Influenced switching from gas to electric appliances based
on cost savings, ease of City’s program saving time and the benefit of taking sustainable
steps to support community climate action goals.
•2026 messages, continued focus on:
•health benefits
•ease of City’s programs saving time and money
•supporting a healthier planet
•importance of taking local action together to advance community goals
APRIL 17, 2026
PRIORITY: MARKETING & BRANDING UPDATES
PaloAlto.gov
New overarching tagline for all
S/CAP elements:
•Helps build awareness and
inspiring, something our
community is willing to repeat,
feels good about, and influences
change.
•Offers a connection to others,
helps tell our story, reinforces
what’s possible through the
City’s goals, priorities and
programs.
APRIL 17, 2026
YOUTH CLIMATE ADVISORY BOARD FEEDBACK
PaloAlto.gov
April 1 Meeting Feedback:
Consensus and excitement around the final tagline
“Sustaining Our Future”
•Community centered
•Connotation of progress and innovation while still
connecting to our past and where we’ve come from
•Community connection to actions that support
future generations and S/CAP goals
•Use of a tree icon to reinforce Palo Alto generally,
plus sustainability, and progress
•Embrace the use of photos, visuals and branding
colors to bring together all S/CAP elements
APRIL 17, 2026
CLIMATE ACTION THEME
PaloAlto.gov
Where we landed; Providing a visual reminder of connections between individual
program communications and unifying strategic purpose.
APRIL 17, 2026
UPCOMING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
PaloAlto.govAPRIL 17, 2026
APRIL 17, 2026
WORKING GROUP COMMENTS
PaloAlto.gov
Summary
•Comment to more strongly surface health impacts, while others
recognized the need for balance
•General support for the tagline, with contrasting view that it should
highlight climate
•Interest in use of metrics to tell our story with contrasting views of
80x30 is outdated and public not likely to be influenced by data
•Support for staff’s work leveraging partners, possibilities of non-
profits in helping to share the City’s message
•Showcase funding for nonprofits to share City climate goals
•Support for more A/B testing of messaging
•Suggestion to insert friendly neighborhood competition
•Climate more prominent on the City’s homepage
APRIL 17, 2026
CONCLUSION/COUNCIL
QUESTIONS
PaloAlto.gov
Updates planned through committee
Committee Informational dashboard reviewed during staff
comments:
•Q1 dashboard: May
•Q2 dashboard: August
•Q3 dashboard: October
•Q4 dashboard: February / 2026 annual report
1www.PaloAlto.gov/connect
MEGHAN HORRIGAN-TAYLOR
Chief Communications Officer
Meghan.Horrigan-Tayor@paloalto.gov