LA Mayor Garcetti signs Green New Deal, launches 'decade of action' to combat climate change

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With the Los Angeles skyline as the backdrop, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcertti launched what he's calling the "decade of action" to address the global climate crisis at a local level.

The mayor also signed a Green New Deal executive directive.

"L.A.'s Green New Deal is focused on the five zeros: zero carbon grid, zero carbon transportation, zero carbon buildings, zero waste and zero wasted water, and equity is an essential thread woven through the fabric of the plan," Garcetti said.

City leaders say there is a number of initiatives from transportation to renewable energy that will make these goals possible.

"We're accelerating our zero emission bus fleet goal to 2028 so that when the world comes here for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games, we'll lead with our values of 100% electric buses," Garcetti said.

He added that new city-owned buildings will be designed with "innovative, low and zero-carbon features."

"We have to come up with new ideas and new concepts to be able to achieve that zero waste goal, but the most important one is source reduction in the first place. Don't recycle your way out of it, stop using plastic in the first place," Councilmember Paul Krekorian said.

Critics have voiced concerns over how a transition to renewable energy could impact local jobs like electrical engineers. Garcetti said they're focusing on creating jobs and providing training.

"Programs directly with unions to retrain and retool people - there are huge opportunities," he said.

Nia Smith is on the mayor's youth council for climate action. At 19 years old, she is advocating for future generations.

"I can't imagine somebody not enjoying the parks or the atmosphere or going for hikes and loving the city that is L.A., and that's why it's so important to me," Smith said. "I can't lose this; I don't wanna lose this."