Global Green USA unveils city carbon index for L.A. to grade progress in creating clean jobs, air and energy
The City Carbon Index is a new Web tool designed to benchmark cities' efforts to reduce carbon emissions and motivate citizens to advocate for smart climate policies at a local level, starting in Los Angeles.
Image credit: Global Green USAGlobal Green USA is a national environmental non-profit that advocates for climate solutions.
The index was created to be similar to a smog index for CO2 pollution, to help people understand the magnitude of carbon emissions in a megacity like Los Angeles and to better understand how they can effectively help reduce its emissions.
The City of LA received a C- grade which will hopefully motivate citizens to support – and push — our leaders to go further toward the reduction goals set for 2030. The C- grade is a result of LA having the dirtiest municipal utility West of the Mississippi (close to 50% of LA’s power is derived from dirty coal). The city’s commitment to getting off of coal is significant, but has suffered from a lack of transparency and intermittent leadership at the LADWP. In addition, key strategies to provide a long-term substantive incentive program for solar power have been lacking in the long-term certainty needed to build a market. Additionally, despite a number of well-crafted renewable energy, transportation, and land use policies, many are only being partially enforced or supported.
Check out the Global Green USA City Carbon Index here: http://citycarbonindex.org/
To read the full news release on the Global Green USA Press Page click here.
Published: Thursday, February 24, 2011
Write to Us
The UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability welcomes your comments.
