In April 2019, LA's Mayor Garcetti has announced his vision for a "Green New Deal", with the goal to make the city carbon neutral by 2050. Earlier in February, he shared plans to stop renewing three natural gas plants. The GND is backed up by over 40 different groups such as Communities for a Better Environment, Earthjustice, C40 GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles, Pacoima Beautiful, and Sierra Club.
The list of targets for the GND reads as follows
- "Building a zero carbon electricity grid — reaching an accelerated goal of 80% renewable energy supply by 2036 as we lead California toward 100% renewables by 2045.
- Creating a Jobs Cabinet to bring city, labor, educational, and business leaders together to support our effort to create 300,000 green jobs by 2035 and 400,000 by 2050.
- Mandating that all new municipally owned buildings and major renovations be all-electric, effective immediately, and that every building in Los Angeles — from skyscrapers to single family homes — become emissions free by 2050.
- Achieving a zero waste future by phasing out styrofoam by 2021, ending the use of plastic straws and single-use takeout containers by 2028, and no longer sending any trash to landfills by 2050.
- Recycling 100% of our wastewater by 2035; sourcing 70% of our water locally — a significant increase from our existing pathway; and nearly tripling the maximum amount of stormwater captured.
- Planting and maintaining at least 90,000 trees — which will provide 61 million square feet of shade — citywide by 2021 and increasing tree canopy in low-income, severely heat impacted areas by at least 50% by 2028."
