Expert BlogCalifornia, Los AngelesMegan Ross, Olivia Walker
Los Angeles passed a policy directing new buildings to be constructed to use all-electric energy, a critical action to achieving LA’s community-driven building decarbonization goals.
As we collectively work to curb emissions, we must ensure that the benefits of energy-efficient buildings are equitably delivered and that the health of all people is protected from toxic chemicals.
Expert BlogUnited StatesAlejandra Mejia Cunningham, Merrian Borgeson, Pierre Delforge
Clean and healthy buildings surged forward as a policy priority in 2021. Buildings—our homes and places of work—are responsible for a quarter of the U.S.’s climate-busting greenhouse gas emissions. Replacing building systems that burn fossil fuels on-site with appliances powered…
In Los Angeles, buildings are the top source of carbon pollution, and the city is taking bold steps to end these harmful emissions completely by 2050. As city leaders and other stakeholders consider how to achieve these emissions reductions equitably…
Expert BlogLos Angeles, CaliforniaStefan Schaffer, Michele Knab Hasson, Megan Ross
Currently, LA’s building stock is responsible for 43% of the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions. A recent report dives deep into the complex relationship between getting fossil fuels out of buildings and creating and preserving affordable housing in Los Angeles…
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the largest municipal utility in the country, has worked with advocates to develop a comprehensive program that provides benefits to low income tenants and is accessible by affordable housing providers.
States and the federal government must act now to preserve essential water service during the pandemic—and keep customers from being mired in debt they cannot escape.
With millions of Americans drastically behind on their energy and water utility bills, no additional federal assistance on the horizon, and moratoria on utility shutoffs expiring, the United States is facing a deepening economic and public health crisis.
Leading California equity groups are calling on the state to take stronger steps to support healthier, more affordable, fossil fuel-free homes, especially for low-income renters and Black, Brown and Indigenous communities. Protecting the health of Californians most impacted by pollution…
New research on gas-fueled home appliances and their effect on air quality offers possibly the strongest case yet for moving from gas to clean electricity in buildings.
Nueva investigación encuentra que reemplazar aparatos de gas por eléctricos en los hogares de California prevendría unas 350 muertes prematuras cada año y produciría $3.5 mil millones en beneficios de salud al año por aire más limpio.
As millions across the country spend long days indoors during the pandemic, it is more critical than ever to promote healthier, energy efficient homes with safer weatherization materials under federal programs.
Lower-income renters face significantly greater challenges from weather-related disasters than their wealthier counterparts. Given the current prioritization of homeowners in post-disaster recovery, there is an urgent need for increased investment in pre-disaster preparedness in rental housing.
These new resources shine a light on the efficacy of healthy materials and deepen our understanding of how contractors and industry insiders actually use materials. We hope they are informative and useful and that they whet the appetite for healthier…
