Mayor Eric Garcetti attended the International Mayors Climate Summit at Boston University and announced on June 7 that Los Angeles has committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The new target – a higher threshold than the city’s previous commitment of an 80 percent reduction by 2050 – is an effort to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

“Los Angeles is a city that plans for the future,” Garcetti said. “Our city is pursuing the most aggressive emissions targets in the world because the future of our planet should not be jeopardized by inaction in Washington. I strongly believe that we each have an obligation to fight climate change by any means at our disposal.”

Since Garcetti was elected to office in 2013, Los Angeles has pursued one of the most aggressive sustainability agendas in the world. Two years later, the mayor released his Sustainable City pLAn, a comprehensive overview and roadmap for a more sustainable, prosperous, and equitable Los Angeles. The pLAn provides additional information and steps Los Angeles is taking to achieve a carbon-free future. The final analysis of L.A.’s carbon neutral pathway will be included in the next pLAn refresh, which is set for release in early 2019.

“While President Trump denies, delays and defers on climate change, America’s cities drive ahead decisively. A year after Trump announced he wanted out of the Paris Agreement, America’s cities are all-in,” said former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. “Whether it’s improving the carbon footprint of their buildings and vehicles, expanding public transportation or setting ambitious emissions-reduction goals from coast to coast, the message is unmistakable. Mayor Garcetti’s decision to put Los Angeles on a path toward zero carbon emissions is another important step in the right direction. We need leadership across all sectors and at all levels of government that accepts the magnitude of the climate threat and demonstrates the commitment to fight it.”