The City of El Cajon has employed a Sustainability Initiative (SI), which consists of strategies, measures, and actions aimed at achieving an overall reduction in the City's greenhouse has (GHG) emissions.

Accounting for legislative actions taken by the Federal and State governments, the SI focuses includes eight strategies, organized under four emissions categories that serve as the foundation for identifying and addressing ways in which the City will reduce GHG emissions. Within each strategy is a series of measures, actions, and supporting measures that define the activities, programs, policies, and projects the City will, when feasible, implement to reduce GHG emissions. These actions and measures mainly focus on community-scale reductions, but also include municipal operations. Through partnerships with and among the community, businesses, and other organizations, these measures could provide net benefits, such as an improved environment, cost savings, conserved resources, and an overall greater quality of life.

The SI accounts for existing plans, programs, directives, and activities that the City has already undertaken to reduce GHG emissions by acknowledging these efforts and, in some cases, building or expanding on them.