UCLA researchers showcased work done in partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to address the challenges and progress in achieving the city’s ambitious green energy goals at the Climate Research Symposium. This symposium, which took place on Nov. 30, was the second such event to highlight current findings from researchers that will contribute to a more sustainable Los Angeles.
The Sustainable LA Grand Challenge facilitated the work through an ongoing partnership with LADWP that funds research that will enable the city to become more energy efficient and reliant on clean energy.
Stephanie Pincetl, founding director and professor at the UCLA California Center for Sustainable Communities, presented her work on the UCLA Energy Atlas in collaboration with the LADWP. Pincetl, who is also a professor at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, aims to understand the energy use in Los Angeles and how to better prepare the city for a greener energy future.
The Energy Atlas “helps illustrate an understanding of the distributional inequities in the energy system,” Pincetl said. “It is designed to support local governments and entities, like LADWP.”
Yifang Zhu, professor and senior associate dean for academic programs at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and associate director of the UCLA Center for Clean Air, also spoke. Zhu presented her work on the co-benefits of climate resilience and public health in Los Angeles. “In public health, we know preventing is preferred to curing,” she said. “This motivates us to study the co-benefits of climate mitigation, air quality and human health.”
Additionally, Raúl Hinojosa-Ojeda, UCLA professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies, gave his expertise on quantifying the green job market related to L.A.'s transition to sustainable energy resources. He focused on what this transition needs to look like to address social inequities in L.A., and to ensure an equitable and just energy future.
Additional speakers included Crist Khachikian, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Natale Zappia, professor of history — both teach at the California State University, Northridge. They presented their experience with the Assistance and Training Program for the Community Emission Reduction Grant in Los Angeles.
The symposium was a collaborative event between UCLA and LADWP with the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability serving as an organizing partner.
The full recording of the symposium can be found on the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge Youtube Channel.
Image Source: Jose Malagon Arenas/Pixabay
