Los Angeles is taking a leading role in climate action with the launch of its Green New Deal. Mayor Garcetti emphasized, “Washington politicians don’t need to look far to see what a Green New Deal looks like — just look at Los Angeles.
As we face fires on our hillsides and floods in our streets, cities must act now to address the climate crisis head-on. L.A. is spearheading the effort with a clear strategy to protect the environment and create an economy that works for all.” The Green New Deal is designed to address key contributors to carbon emissions in the city, such as buildings, transportation, waste, and energy.
Its goals include phasing out single-use plastics by 2050, recycling all wastewater by 2035, developing a zero-emissions transportation network, and transitioning the Port of Los Angeles to be carbon-free. The initiative also aims to create hundreds of thousands of green jobs, setting a precedent for other cities and policymakers. Sanjana Karanth of HuffPost notes that this plan is an expanded version of the Sustainable City pLAn created by Garcetti in 2015.
It incorporates new environmental data and advocates for more aggressive climate solutions. Los Angeles has already made notable advances under the Sustainable City pLAn, including becoming the top U.S. city for solar power and installing the most electric vehicle charging stations.
What other cities have put forward ambitious plans to cut carbon emissions? Is your city involved in similar initiatives? How might these local efforts impact the federal Green New Deal introduced by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?
