Los Angeles is taking on the challenge of transitioning from relying on the local fossil fuel industry and oil wells to greener energy sources and jobs, ensuring no one is left behind in the process.
The City of Los Angeles is home to the largest urban oil field in the world. Many of the roughly 2,930 active and idle oil wells in the city and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are located in residential neighbourhoods near community parks and schools.
Los Angeles is transitioning from its reliance on the local fossil fuel industry to a greener, more sustainable economy, while ensuring that impacted workers and communities are supported in the process.
A Just Transition Task Force – comprising a broad range of stakeholders, including labour groups, workforce development experts, environmental justice leaders, the oil industry, Tribal Nations, academic institutions, and state and local governments – released LA’s first-ever Just Transition Strategy. With support from C40’s ICA Fund, the city has now transformed this into an Implementation and Operation Plan. The plan fosters accountability and ownership by establishing clear roles and responsibilities for different stakeholder groups, and was informed by direct engagement with oil workers to understand their needs.
The project also assessed possible funding sources to support the city’s just transition efforts, identifying a potential US$12 million from private funders. With the Fund’s support, the city has created a fair, inclusive, and sustainable plan to fund and implement its just transition strategy, in line with LA’s Green New Deal.
The C40 Inclusive Climate Action (ICA) Cities Fund is designed to help cities develop and implement climate projects with equity and inclusion principles at their core. As part of the 2023-2024 programme, C40 supported six global cities to develop and deliver climate projects that are inclusive, fair and benefit all residents. Learn more about C40’s ICA Fund.