Under mayoral guidance, the City of Los Angeles acknowledges the urgent need to address the climate crisis as a pivotal opportunity for transformative change. Recognizing the historical environmental injustices affecting marginalized communities, Los Angeles aims to lead by example, prioritizing the interests of communities of color and working-class individuals. The project involves collaborating with FUSE to develop a comprehensive climate resilience plan informed by neighborhood-specific considerations. FUSE Executive Fellow Patty Menjivar will conduct a thorough landscape analysis, engaging with stakeholders and identifying climate-related project requirements across all city departments. Menjivar will establish an equity-centered baseline for energy resilience through a hyper-local approach, focusing on historically marginalized neighborhoods. The ultimate goal is to create a scalable model for equitable energy adaptation and climate resilience that can serve as a global example.
Starting in April 2024, Menjivar will work towards these objectives by conducting a listening tour, assessing successful local strategies, and formulating an interdepartmental vision through the Mayor’s Office. By April 2025, Menjivar aims to create a guide for future planning, establish department-specific directives, provide resource allocation suggestions, and encourage cross-departmental partnerships, fostering energy resilience throughout the City of Los Angeles. This initiative holds the potential to accelerate energy adaptation, addressing the unique challenges and opportunities within different neighborhoods and establishing a model for global climate resilience.
