Los Angeles
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced his renewed commitment to increasing the number of green jobs in the southern California city. In a statement he issued on April 8, he explained that he wants LA to create 15,000 green positions by 2017, reported the Los Angeles Business Journal.
According to 89.3 KPCC, the city created 4,800 green jobs since 2013. Although this number does not encompass positions in the transit industry, it still demonstrates that the city has a long way to go toward achieving this ambitious goal over the next two years. Overall, Los Angeles county is home to roughly 32,000 green jobs at the moment, another indicator as to just how ambitious the mayor’s job creation initiative is.
The Los Angeles Business Journal reported that most of the green jobs in the area are in the waste recycling, lawn removal and solar panel installation industries. Garcetti wants to triple the use of rooftop solar energy in Los Angeles before 2017, which will likely give this industry a boost and help accelerate green job growth. He is also hoping to reduce per capita water use by 20 percent by 2017 and lower greenhouse gas emissions by over 80 percent by 2050. The source also noted that the mayor wants to build 100,000 new housing units by 2021, at least 57 percent of which will be less than 1,500 steps from public transportation stops.
KPCC explained that Garcetti issued a roadmap that outlines his plans for achieving these goals.
“The economic power of individual workers and the green business sector are key components of a sustainable city’s strength and vitality. Developing prosperity through green jobs can drive triple bottom-line returns that achieve economic success, improve equity and strengthen the environment,” stated the roadmap.