REGIONAL SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS TO SET A GLOBAL STAGE

BY MARIA SALINAS

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on families, communities, and livelihoods. While it was challenging our public health systems, its impact was being felt well beyond hospital doors. Businesses shuttered, jobs were lost, and the economy became stagnant. Yet, despite the challenges we have passed as well as the challenges before us, this moment presents an opportunity to reinforce our societal structures to be more resilient, smarter, and more equitable—in other words, we have the opportunity, as we are rebuilding our economy, to build a better and more sustainable future. 

Interestingly, despite the negative impacts on our lives, the temporary positive effects on the environment from COVID-19 were noteworthy as people sequestered at home. The economic slowdown contributed to a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from March through July of 2020. However, now that economic activity is ramping back up, global CO2 emissions are markedly rising.   

Los Angeles is no stranger to enhancing sustainability due to necessity. Environmental changes, including those caused by COVID-19, are uniquely impactful in Los Angeles because of its population, global economic activity, and sheer size. The region has always adapted accordingly, which is one of the reasons organizations like the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) evaluated the necessary resources to reach its goal of being 100 percent carbon neutral earlier than the deadline set by state law in SB 100.

LADWP’s actions are part of larger efforts from the City and County of Los Angeles to lessen our environmental impact. They separately developed sustainability plans in 2019, and now the Chamber of Commerce is engaging both of them to ensure these plans are not only sustainable but also economical. These efforts are a step in the right direction, but there are even more opportunities for our region. 

The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) dedicated $6.4 billion to projects which address climate change, and over $11 billion has thus far been appropriated by California’s legislature to combat the issue. However, estimates on how much is needed to tangibly impact climate change can range upwards of trillions of dollars. Hope is not lost, as significant opportunities to leverage public and private investments could ensure the economic legs of sustainability plans are implemented appropriately and in a timely manner by coinciding with several major events which are scheduled in our region for the next decade.

In the time of COVID, it was made incredibly clear, the health and well-being of local residents, businesses, and our economy will take public, private, and community partnership.

These events have offered the region the incentive and means to improve public transit systems, greener buildings, and a reduction in hospitality waste. While there are still questions regarding its long-term impact, there is no doubting there is a significant opportunity to ensure the economy and the jobs it produces are equitably integrated into sustainability plans. The real question of implementation comes down to the methods used. They must be balanced and tied to the specific economic ramifications.

To properly tackle these issues, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce has taken the role of convener and educator, examining current and post-pandemic responses while promoting solutions that address regional sustainability. As a voice in civic and government circles, the Chamber is currently working to elevate social, environmental, and economic values through sustainability management, a goal of which is to bring businesses, environmental leaders, and community members together to tap into their expertise and hear their ideas. If any sustainability plan is to be effective, it must be made in partnership with all stakeholders with a seat at the table. Then and only then can we effectively confront the challenge of climate change while creating a more vibrant region for every Southern California business and resident.  

In the time of COVID, it was made incredibly clear, the health and well-being of local residents, businesses, and our economy will take public, private, and community partnership. To create a better, more sustainable world—one in which businesses are understood as forces for good that ensure the three E’s: Environment, Equity, and Economy, is an opportunity that will not be squandered.

In the interim, the real question is what will business look like going forward? Can we expect industry to largely return to its pre-pandemic status quo? Will we decide that telecommuting works, and move toward a new business model? Whatever the approach, organizations like the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce intend to exercise their voice on sustainability to ensure business and community interests are represented and emphasize equity, opportunity, and the economy.

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Maria Salinas is a Pacific Council Director and the president and CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Pacific Council.