Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) (in California, USA)  Issues Call to Action to Create Economic Incentives and a Planning Process that Makes Green Business Good Business.

LABC’s 2007 Sustainability Summit — Capitalizing on Green Business: Incentives, Opportunities and Solutions) — At its inaugural Sustainability Summit today, the Los Angeles Business Council LABC issued a Call to Action for the City of Los Angeles (L.A.) to implement planning and development reforms that will encourage the private sector to adopt green building standards. The LABC challenged the City in front of a broad-based coalition of non-profit organizations, environmental advocates and community and civic leaders who are dedicated to the greening L.A.

In its Sustainability Call to Action the LABC recommended: creating a City Sustainability Team with the needed authority and accountability; providing incentives to encourage sustainable building practices; supporting specific federal and state legislation which provide tax credits for energy efficient buildings; and establishing City Sustainability Awards to recognize and encourage outstanding green projects and practices.

Mayor Villaraigosa gave the keynote address at the Summit and announced the city’s action plan for sustainable development. “In Los Angeles, we know that our bright future depends on smart, green growth to address the issue of climate change. Los Angeles is leading the way on innovative environmental strategies and we are dedicated to mapping out a sustainable path that will put our city at the cutting edge of the green cities movement,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Today’s event came on the heels of a year’s worth of work by the LABC to engage city leaders in a productive conversation about how to encourage and promote sustainable development.

“LABC knows that adopting sustainability policies and practices is critical to our future economic competitiveness. Our goal is to ensure that Los Angeles continues to be a profitable place to do business, where we are creating higher wage jobs and a healthy environment that can attract and retain new companies and their  employees,” said LABC President Mary Leslie. “We take pride in our LABC members and their leadership and foresight in recognizing the opportunities and benefits of making L.A. a global leader in sustainable development.”

“Making Los Angeles a sustainable city will require a commitment on behalf of every one of us — in government, business, non-profit, and residents,” said Council President Eric Garcetti. “LABC’s vision of a green Los Angeles is a bold articulation of what we need to do and how we can sustain the natural and human resources of our city for generations to come.”

“I applaud the LABC for its leadership and foresight in working to make Los Angeles a global leader in sustainability. I look forward to working with the LABC to create incentives for energy efficiency and green building,” said California’s Senate President Pro tem Don Perata.

Today’s conference was the first of what will become an annual tradition of bringing together the leading business, environmental and community leaders in an effort to make Los Angeles the cleanest and greenest big city in America.

For more information on the Los Angeles Business Council or to download the 2007 Sustainability Summit event program or LABC’s 2007 Sustainability Call to Action, visit the council’s website:  http://www.labusinesscouncil.org/.

Source for this post: Los Angeles Business Council

Contact: Elishema Fishman, +1-310-552-4173, cell, +1-310-866-0985, or
Adena Tessler, +1-310-552-4146, cell, +1-323-646-2397, both for Los Angeles
Business Council

Website: http://www.labusinesscouncil.org/

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