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4.5 – Greenhouse Gas Emissions Draft Environmental Impact Report February 2021 14800 W. Schulte Road Logistics Center 4.5-21 Best Performance Standards. The SJVAPCD evaluated performance-based standards that would state “in quantifiable terms the level and extent of the attribute necessary to reach a goal or objective ” (SJVAPCD 2009a). The SJVAPCD considered a project achieving the performance-based standard or mitigating GHG emissions to an equivalent emissions reduction level would be considered to have a less-than-significant cumulative impact on climate change. In conclusion, the SJVAPCD found that the state’s GHG emission s reduction target would be accomplished by achieving a 29% reduction from business-as-usual (BAU), and that achieving this reduction would be a “de facto” performance-based standard for GHG emissions reductions. On December 17, 2009, the SJVAPCD Governing Board adopted Guidance for Valley Land-Use Agencies in Addressing GHG Emission Impacts for New Projects under CEQA (SJVAPCD 2009b). The guidance recommends the following hierarchy for evaluating a project’s impact with respect to its GHG emissions: • Projects complying with an approved GHG emission reduction plan or GHG mitigation program that avoids or substantially reduces GHG emissions within the geographic area in which the Project is located would be determined to have a less-than-significant individual and cumulative impact for GHG emissions. Such plans or programs must be specified in law or approved by the lead agency with jurisdiction over the affected resource and supported by a CEQA compliant environmental review document adopted by the lead agency. Projects complying with an approved GHG emission reduction plan or GHG mitigation program would not be required to implement BPS. • Projects implementing BPSs would not require quantification of project-specific GHG emissions.5 Consistent with the CEQA Guidelines, such projects would be determined to have a less-than-significant individual and cumulative impact for GHG emissions. • Projects not implementing BPSs would require quantification of project-specific GHG emissions and demonstration that project-specific GHG emissions would be reduced or mitigated by at least 29% compared to BAU, including GHG emission reductions achieved since the 2002–2004 baseline period. Projects achieving at least a 29% GHG emission reduction compared to BAU would be determined to have a less-than-significant individual and cumulative impact for GHG (SJVAPCD 2009b). • For development projects, BPSs would include project design elements, land use decisions, and technologies that reduce GHG emissions. Although the SJVAPCD has adopted BPSs for several types of stationary sources (e.g., boilers), it has not developed BPSs for land development projects. Projects implementing any combination of BPSs and/or demonstrating a total 29% reduction in GHG emissions from BAU would be determined to have a less-than- significant individual and cumulative impact on global climate change (SJVAPCD 2015). County of San Joaquin The County’s General Plan Public Health and Safety Element GHG reductions goals, and Natural and Cultural Resources Element energy resources goals set targets and strategies to reduce GHG emissions and associated climate change by supporting new renewable energy facilities. These are as follows (County of San Joaquin 2016): Goal PHS-6: To reduce GHG emissions as part of the statewide effort to combat climate change. Policy PHS-6.2: Community GHG Reduction Targets. The County shall reduce community GHG emissions by 15% below 2005 levels by 2020, and shall strive to reduce GHG emissions by 40% and 80% below reduced 2020 levels by 2035 and 2050, respectively. 5 The guidance recommends, “projects requiring preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for any other reason would require quantification of project specific GHG emissions” (SJVAPCD 2009c). This assessment for the project does include quantification of the project’s construction and operational GHG emissions.