In the backdrop of a tumultuous 2020 that saw life transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the murder of George Floyd, the UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge (SLA GC) committed to placing an even greater emphasis on equity, diversity and inclusion as it relates to the initiative’s goals, and sustainability as a whole, because we can and must do better.

The Sustainable LA Grand Challenge collaborated with the City of Los Angeles and other partners to secure $1 million of funding to implement 200-plus cool blocks — community-specific climate resiliency plans — across Los Angeles. 

Wildlife corridors connect areas of habitat and provide a vital pathway through human development that could otherwise impede biological life of all kinds. Over time, structures like buildings, roads and fences can be barriers to wildlife movement and survival as they fragment the habitat into smaller and smaller pieces.

The 2019 Los Angeles Countywide Sustainability Plan — of which 16 UCLA researchers contributed — was honored at a June 17 virtual ceremony with the Award for Excellence in Sustainability by the American Planning Association (APA) Sustainable Communities Division. The awards honor projects, plans, policies, individuals and organizations whose work is dedicated to supporting sustainable communities.

As society’s dependence on plastics continues, global production is expected to triple to 1,124 million tons by 2050, according to the World Economic Forum. Robin Frohardt, a New York artist, is highlighting the cost of plastic consumption in a new art installation titled, The Plastic Bag Store. Presented by the UCLA Center for the Art of Performance (CAP UCLA), the installation resembles a normal grocery store, except everything is made of thrown-away plastic collected from the streets or landfills.

The Green Gala is an annual sustainability award ceremony hosted by Team Green, part of the UCLA Office of Residential Life, which recognizes students, staff, faculty and community partners for their work to create sustainable communities. This year, the Green Gala awarded two Sustainable LA Grand Challenge (SLA GC) nominees.

The Sustainable LA Grand Challenge (SLA GC) is pleased to announce that UCLA is now an institutional member of the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability (LARC), and moving forward, all UCLA affiliated faculty, staff and students may use this SLA GC-sponsored membership to receive LARC membership benefits.