Councilman Paul Koretz (photo courtesy of the SFVA)

Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz, 5th District, on June 4 received a Community Champion Conservation Award from the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society for his decade of work setting a new standard of leadership on climate, environmental, water and biodiversity policy for the city of Los Angeles.

According to the SFVA, Koretz’s environmental achievements included moving the L.A. Department of Water and Power off of coal power; launching an effort to recycle and use wastewater from the Hyperion Water Treatment Plant, now called Operation Next; setting the City Council’s aggressive climate emissions reductions goals; creating the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office with the Leap L.A. Coalition and Climate Emergency Commission; and working to better regulate and ban neighborhood oil drilling.

Further, he helped close down the leaking San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station; implemented plastic measures including banning plastic grocery bags, utensils upon demand and a forthcoming comprehensive plastics reduction policy; initiated Regenerate L.A. to turn the city’s food waste into healthy, carbon-sequestering soil for use in parks and medians; won the Cool City Challenge; and, most directly, supported the mission of the SFVA, initiating the Biodiversity City Index and wildlife habitat connectivity efforts.

He has been also instrumental in the hiring of an environmentally conscious staff.

“In the face of rapidly-worsening climate change and megadrought, my staff and I have really been keeping our heads down doing work we see as vital not only for our kids, but for ourselves,” Koretz said. “I am delighted and honored to receive the SFVA award acknowledging all of what I have really seen as my job and mission: to protect and create a healthy, vibrant and resilient future L.A., and to inspire other cities to join us in aggressive climate action and nature protection.”

The San Fernando Valley Audubon Society aims to promote the conservation of natural resources and preserve and enhance wildlife habitats and biodiversity, while increasing the appreciation of bird life and the natural environment through education, presentations, guided bird walks and other activities.