LA 2024 today reaffirmed its pledge to stage an innovative, efficient, and environmentally friendly Games that enhances the region’s ambitious sustainability and conservation goals, after California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law groundbreaking new legislation (SB 32) requiring the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, strengthening California's previous nation-leading target of a reduction to 1990 levels by 2020. The state also enacted companion legislation (AB 197) that establishes a legislative committee on climate change policies to ensure transparency and accountability in greenhouse gas emission reduction programs.
In a statement, Governor Brown called the new laws "far-reaching moves that continue California on its path of vast innovation and environmental resilience."
California, the world’s sixth largest economy, continues to set the most progressive environmental protection agenda in the United States despite 2030 estimates projecting 13% population growth to 44 million and over 50% gross state product growth to $3.5 trillion.
Capitalizing on California’s clean technology boom, LA 2024 seeks to stage the first ever energy positive Games and develop ground-breaking sustainability initiatives across areas such as Games-time transportation, venue operations and community engagement programs.
LA 2024 Chairman Casey Wasserman said: "I would like to applaud Governor Jerry Brown, Senator Fran Pavley, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, Senate President pro Tempore Kevin De León, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and the California legislature for adopting the most ambitious greenhouse reduction legislation in the United States. This progressive legislation demonstrates once again that California is a pioneer in sustainability, with funding mechanisms in place to set the global agenda. In a forward-thinking mega-city like the New LA, the challenge to remain environmentally friendly never ends, so sustainability and conservation are at the forefront of LA 2024’s planning and our culture as a bid.
"LA 2024 will be the greenest Games in history, including the first ever energy positive Games. And with our wealth of existing stadiums, housing and transportation options, LA 2024 has a minimal construction budget, giving us the dual benefit of avoiding the environmental impact of large, complex new projects and focusing our resources on a partnership with the IOC to deliver 'what’s next' in sustainable sports event hosting."
LA 2024 CEO Gene Sykes, a Trustee for the National Parks Conservation Association and The Nature Conservancy California, said: "LA 2024 represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to incorporate the green activities of all our partners – municipal, corporate, conservation, education, sports – into a concerted effort to challenge, engage and educate our communities on protecting our environment. That process has already begun and it guarantees a valuable bid legacy for the people of our city."
For decades, California has established a tradition of environmental protection. According to the Governor's office, "Last October, Governor Brown signed landmark legislation - SB 350 - to double the rate of energy efficiency savings in California buildings and generate half of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Governor Brown also committed to reduce today's petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to 50 percent within the next 15 years; make heating fuels cleaner; reduce the release of methane, black carbon and other potent pollutants across industries; and manage farm and rangelands, forests and wetlands so they can store carbon."
The LA 2024 Candidature Committee’s commitment to sustainability also echoes the City of Los Angeles’ first-ever Sustainable City pLAn, unprecedented in the United States, and the city is already experiencing the benefits. Greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 20% since 1990 and the city is nearly halfway to meeting its own Sustainable City pLAn’s 2025 target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% (Los Angeles Climate Action Report, 2015).
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