L.A. Greenprint: A Plan to Fight Climate Change

Our report, Los Angeles Greenprint [PDF], shows how the city can achieve economic recovery through environmental leadership.

Finding solutions to global climate change will create millions of new jobs while also growing the green economy.

California has always been on America's leading edge of environmental creativity, innovation and policy, and Los Angeles is poised to become a leader in the state's efforts to curb global climate change.

Environmental Defense Fund's L.A. Greenprint [PDF] shows how Los Angeles can achieve economic recovery through environmental leadership and continue the path toward the new clean economy.

Opportunity knocks

Los Angeles has a tremendous opportunity to become the nation's green collar capitol. In May 2007, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa released "Green LA: An Action Plan to Lead the Nation in Fighting Global Warming" [PDF], setting out a goal to reduce the city's greenhouse gases to 35% below 1990 levels by 2030.ⁱ

And in November 2008, the Mayor announced "Solar LA: The Los Angeles Solar Energy Plan" [PDF] which envisions bringing 1.3 gigawatts of solar to Los Angeles by 2020.ⁱⁱ Green LA and Solar LA will put Los Angeles at the forefront in the global fight against climate change and will create solutions to help grow its local green economy.

Green jobs abound in the new green economy

Implementing Green LA and Solar LA is expected to create high-quality, "green" jobs for people living in and around the Los Angeles area.

The positive effect of L.A.'s plans to reduce greenhouse gases and generate renewable energy will ripple through the broader Southern California economy, creating a lasting upswing in the manufacturing, construction, technology, and "green" service sectors.ⁱⁱⁱ

Local, green job success stories

This report provides a tangible example of people working in the "green" economy

• Suntrek Industries: one of the leading solar providers on the west coast with six offices in California
• Los Angeles Community College District: one of the largest community college districts in the country that is pioneering the way towards becoming 100% energy self-sufficient. LACCD also boast a sustainability curriculum geared towards teaching the students of today the skills needed to work in the green jobs of tomorrow.

The time to act is now Los Angeles and Southern California are uniquely vulnerable to a warming globe due to existing pollution problems, the coastal setting, and the overstretched water supplies. Temperature increases associated with global warming have already led to a variety of physical manifestations across the globe and could seriously impact Southern California.

We must act now if we are to avoid the damaging social and economic consequences of climate change.

Resources

i The City of Los Angeles, Green LA: An Action Plan to Lead the Nation In Fighting Global Warming [PDF], May 2007.

ii City of Los Angeles, The Los Angeles Solar Energy Plan [PDF]. November 24, 2008.

iii Gereffi, Gary, Dubay, Kristen and Lowe, Marcy. Manufacturing Climate Solutions: Carbon-Reducing Technologies and U.S. Jobs. Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness [PDF], Duke University.

Posted: 12-May-2009; Updated: 15-Jun-2009