Climate action, environmental protection, and community resilience aren’t just priorities—they’re a responsibility. In January 2025, the Palisades Fires devastated my district, a stark reminder that climate impacts are already here. As the first millennial to represent over two million constituents, I’ve made sustainability and resiliency central to my work. When federal leadership falls short, city, county, and state governments must lead locally and collaboratively, which is why I guided our Board to affirm our commitment to climate action and expand partnerships with international groups like ICLEI.

I led the passage of the 2025 OurCounty Sustainability Plan and the 2045 Climate Action Plan General Plan Amendment, putting the nation’s largest county on a path to carbon neutrality. To ensure accountability, we created a Climate Budget, Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and Municipal Climate Action Plan.

Our district is the most disaster-prone in the nation, according to FEMA, and we are still recovering from the Palisades and Eaton Fires. I convened a Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire-Safe Recovery to ensure that rebuilding is sustainable, equitable, and resilient.

Water and heat resilience are critical to protecting residents. I championed the LA County Water Plan—the first unified plan for all 200 county water districts, and reformed our Safe Clean Water Program, which invests nearly $300 million annually in local water supply and quality. I also led first-in-the-nation tenant protections requiring landlords to maintain safe indoor temperatures, paired with our County Heat Action Plan to safeguard residents from extreme heat, the deadliest climate threat we face.

I’m advancing clean energy and sustainable transportation to reduce emissions. As Vice Chair of the Clean Power Alliance, we provide mostly 100% renewable electricity to over three million customers. As an LA Metro Director, I’m helping build five new underground and light rail lines, while guiding County departments on a Zero Emissions Vehicle Master Plan and Bicycle Master Plan to meet active transportation and Vision Zero goals.

Protecting access to nature is equally urgent. My district’s iconic beaches, from Malibu to Venice, face sea level rise, so I launched a Coastal Resiliency Initiative, prioritizing living shorelines to protect biodiversity and prevent erosion. We’re expanding parks, creating Urban Natureways, implementing a native plants policy at all 2,500 County facilities, and observing the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Our Santa Monica Mountains are under threat from invasive pests, so I helped create an Invasive Pest Management Unit to protect our oak forests from the deadly Gold Spotted Oak Borer.

Climate change is the defining crisis of our time, threatening our communities, natural heritage, and the future of generations to come. As Supervisor of the nation’s most populous county, I believe we have a responsibility to meet this challenge head-on—rebuilding resilient communities, protecting our environment, and leading by example. Together with ICLEI partners, Los Angeles County can show the world that bold, equitable, and sustainable solutions are possible, ensuring our children and grandchildren inherit a safer, healthier, and more just future.