A Greater L.A. – The Framework for Regional Climate Action and Sustainability

Los Angeles County is a megalopolis of international economic importance with over 10 million diverse people, 88 cities, and over 1,200 special districts. Climate change does not respect political boundaries, and reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) requires a cross-jurisdictional approach to ensure community-wide reductions. This is especially true in Southern California, where vehicular emissions may take place in dozens of cities over the course of a single commute, or where numerous adjacent communities share increased fire risk. A Greater L.A. is designed to transcend jurisdictional boundaries and engender a regional approach to a regional challenge.

A Greater L.A. will leverage research and regional capacity to create a consensus-based, actionable plan for combating climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Greater Los Angeles, helping guide local governments take action to becoming more sustainable cities.  A Greater LA framework will: provide strategies to mitigate the emission of climate change-causing greenhouse gases, assess the impacts of climate change and outline adaptation measures to undertake, and outline a path towards sustainable economic growth for communities throughout Greater L.A.

In addition to a biannual written report, the Framework will appear as a living web-based suite of resources that provide guidance, planning support, resources, tools, data, model policies and ordinances, and a strategic atlas of regional climate action and sustainability policies. This allows for continuous updating and enriching of the regional strategy. What will result is a guidebook and strategy that stands as a model for true climate action that can be copied and utilized by communities throughout the country.

LARC has been tasked by cities, the County of LA, and agencies with coordinating regional climate action and sustainability strategies for Los Angeles County. These local governments have all endorsed the LARC Charter that establishes this Collaborative as the mechanism for regional climate action. As a result, the production of the Framework will serve as the guiding strategy for sustainability for Los Angeles County.

The twelve objectives are:

• Improve Air and Water Quality
• Promote Public Health
• Promote Equity
• Increase Housing Affordability
• Promote Infill and Compact Development
• Revitalize Urban and Community Centers
• Protect Natural Resources
• Reduce Automobile Usage and Fuel Consumption
• Improve Infrastructure Systems
• Promote Water Conservation
• Promote Energy Efficiency and Conservation
• Strengthen the Economy

Published: Tuesday, May 29, 2012