Mayor Karen Bass Thursday unveiled an action plan to guide the city’s climate goals forward, with a focus on reaching carbon neutrality by 2045, doubling local solar production and installing 120,000 electric vehicle chargers.
During a news conference at the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys, Bass highlighted the 93-page plan, which she said will help build a more sustainable city. It outlines 14 main objectives and 52 targets, consisting of 16 new goals and 36 updated ones under the city’s 2019 Green New Deal, created by former mayor Eric Garcetti.
“We’ve already made L.A. coal-free, opened one of the largest solar and battery storage facilities in the country, and doubled the number of EV chargers in Los Angeles,” Bass said.
“We’re not just setting goals, we’re delivering results. And we’re showing the country, and the world, what’s possible with bold climate leadership,” Bass added.
Bass made her announcement at the water reclamation facility, where construction is ongoing to double the site’s capacity to turn wastewater into pure drinking water.
The mayor was joined by City Council members Adrian Nazarian and Imelda Padilla, as well as environmental advocates.
The plan details various initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at key facilities such as the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles International Airport, as well as establishes methods to lower water use. It also touches upon extreme heat and wildfire preparedness, creating more green spaces like parks and restoring natural habitat.
An update to L.A.’s Green New Deal aims to accelerate outcomes, improve monitoring of work and to clarify timelines for certain projects that were behind schedule.
In 2023, City Controller Kenneth Mejia called for a reboot of the Green New Deal, citing concerns that it failed to reach certain objectives and lacked transparency to measure its outcomes.