PRESS RELEASE

In celebration of the first anniversary of the establishment of the Office of Climate Action and Sustainability (Office) and adoption of the Long Beach Climate Action Plan (LB CAP), the City of Long Beach will recognize two days of environmental awareness and unified action. To increase awareness of the actions Long Beach residents, businesses and industries can take to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reductions, the City is inviting the community to participate in Zero Emissions Day on Thursday, Sept. 21, and California Clean Air Day on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

“The City Council passed the Long Beach Climate Action Plan to create a roadmap to reduce our city’s greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. A year after its adoption, the work is underway with the staff, resources, and momentum to take action,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “Led by the Office of Climate Action and Sustainability, the City is now organized to centrally coordinate interdepartmental efforts for LB CAP implementation and, in the coming year, this team will be calling on our residents, businesses, and industries to take steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”

Zero Emissions Day is an international day of action that promotes the use of sustainable sources of energy for everyday activities. On Sept. 21, residents are encouraged to participate in Zero Emissions Day by using a zero-emission mode of transportation to local libraries and parks as well as their day-to-day activities. Residents are encouraged to plan a trip on foot or by bike, public transit, e-scooter, bike share, or electric vehicle and post about their experience using the hashtag #LBClimateAction. The Office is also hosting a pop-up event at Willow Springs Park (2745 Orange Ave.), on Sept. 21 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Park visitors are invited to stop by the booth for sustainable resources and giveaways.

California Clean Air Day is a state-wide day of action to educate the public about air pollution and its direct impacts on health. To amplify this message, the City would like to highlight the work that the Tree Planting Program does to help mitigate these negative health impacts by providing free street trees to neighborhoods throughout Long Beach. On Wednesday, Oct. 4, the City is partnering with the Conservation Corps of Long Beach to plant trees along Harbor Avenue to improve air quality along the I-710 corridor. Residents are encouraged to apply for and schedule a tree planting in their neighborhoods by visiting https://www.longbeach.gov/sustainability/programs/tree-planting/.

The LB CAP, which includes climate action goals aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change adaptation goals that focus on the negative impact climate change has on infrastructure, services, and the well-being of the community, was passed by the Long Beach City Council in August 2022. The vision of LB CAP is to create a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable Long Beach by addressing climate change in a way that remedies existing environmental health disparities while also improving health, quality of life, and economic vitality throughout the City.

Since LB CAP adoption, much of the work conducted over the last year has focused on developing and establishing the new Office, which included merging with the existing Office of Sustainability and the addition of four new climate action positions to align climate resiliency and environmental sustainability efforts. The Office is charged with developing and managing an interdepartmental governance structure across all City departments to ensure the implementation of LB CAP actions and goals. The Office is collaborating across departments to create a structure that results in efficiency, accountability, education and transparency.

“A key objective of the LB CAP is for Long Beach to achieve net zero emissions by 2045,” said Climate Manager Fern Nueno. “We hope to better enable residents to make the changes to their everyday routines that can help us reach that goal and, in doing so, improve the health and wellbeing of our communities.”

“Our Office’s Tree Planting Program aims to expand Long Beach’s urban forest in order to improve public health and beautify neighborhoods throughout the city,” said Sustainability Manager Larry Rich. “We look forward to residents joining us in this work for Clean Air Day and beyond as we strive to increase our team’s capacity for planting street trees by mobilizing more community-based methods of support for our program.”

Residents interested in participating in Zero Emissions Day or California Clean Air Day may visit longbeach.gov/sustainability/ or contact the Office of Climate Action and Sustainability at Sustainability@longbeach.gov for more information. People may also follow the Office’s Facebook and Instagram pages and sign up for the newsletter to receive updates.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.