Sustainable City pLAn for Los Angeles
Earlier this year Mayor Eric Garcetti launched several Executive Directives, one of which was the first ever Sustainable City pLAn. Sustainability is about more than combating climate change and reducing pollution: it encompasses economic development, social development, and environmental protection. The pLAn looks at ways the whole city of Los Angeles: citizens, communities, and businesses, can be more cognizant about responsible waste, clean energy, water conservation, efficient transportation, improved air quality, and the creation of green jobs. Sustainability is about making sure that the natural resources we have today are available for future generations tomorrow.
Mayor Garcetti has taken a proactive approach in Los Angeles becoming a leader in sustainability. On Monday, Mayor Garcetti joined Vice President Joe Biden and leaders in the clean-technology industry for a roundtable discussion on ways to develop clean technology. Vice President Biden sees Los Angeles as leading the country in innovation and sustainability as Mayor Garcetti has pledged an aggressive goal for the City to cut emissions 80% by 2050, stop using coal by 2025, and embedding sustainability into everything that City Hall does. In addition, last week Mayor Garcetti announced a campaign called the Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge (LABBC) or ‘Drop 100’ where commercial buildings will take the necessary steps to save 100 million gallons of water every year. This campaign helps by conserving water for the drought, as commercial buildings account for 19% of the city’s water supply. Learn more about the Mayor’s Sustainable City pLAn.
With the Mayor taking a proactive stance on sustainability, Neighborhood Councils can also engage with this important campaign by exploring new areas and ways in which they can help the city reach sustainability goals, specifically by submitting a Community Impact Statement on reducing greenhouse gas in the city as proposed in Council File #14-0907. A CIS is an opportunity for NCs to influence legislation. To learn more about Community Impact Statements, attend an upcoming EmpowerLA CIS training workshop!
Community empowerment starts with you, so thank you for your continued interest to stay connected, engaged, and empowered.
About the Author:
Danielle Merriweather is a current graduate student at Pepperdine University School of Public Policy specializing in State and Local Policy and American Politics. She currently interns for EmpowerLA as an outreach and communications strategist. She is working closely with EmpowerLA to inform NCs about various issues that are taking place in Los Angeles, as well as encouraging NCs and their stakeholders to use the power that they have to influence legislation through community impact statements. Her passions and goals are to help find and establish resources for impoverished communities, create ways to make it easier for the average citizen to navigate through local government, all while creating positive change to better the lives of others.