West Hollywood Begins Community-Wide Outreach Process To Provide Feedback Opportunities About City’s Future Climate Action Strategies

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

December 21, 2020

The City of West Hollywood is currently updating its Climate Action Plan — an effort called “WeHo Climate Action” — to further champion local actions needed to meet the global challenges of climate change and to reaffirm West Hollywood as a vibrant and sustainable municipal leadership model for current and future generations.

While pandemic-related closures during periods of 2020 have resulted in some reduced traffic and better air quality, such temporary improvements will have negligible impacts on reducing global emissions in the long term. In order to align the City of West Hollywood with the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the City will need continue its work in taking aggressive action to reduce its carbon footprint.

The City is launching a community-wide outreach effort to engage residents, businesses, and the community at large in providing input about the City’s climate action strategies and planning efforts. To safely engage community members during the coronavirus pandemic, the City invites community members to learn more by visiting the City’s Climate Action webpage and to provide input in shaping future climate action strategies by taking a short online survey.

For community members who cannot or do not wish to complete the online survey for any reason, the City invites telephone callers to leave voice messages responding to one key question — What is the top environmental priority that you think the City of West Hollywood should address? — on the City of West Hollywood’s Climate Action Hotline at (323) 848-3155.

“Responsibility for the environment is a core value of the City of West Hollywood and we’re excitedly looking forward to an incoming Presidential Administration that has pledged to restore the role of science in public policy, to support initiatives that safeguard our environment, and to re-enter our nation into the Paris Climate Agreement,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath. “West Hollywood has consistently led the way in developing and implementing policies that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy, and promote sustainability. In updating our Climate Action Plan and in engaging community members to provide feedback and input on this important work, West Hollywood will continue to take great steps forward in reducing our carbon footprint and in tracking our progress on sustainability, which will better prepare our City for the future effects of climate change.”

The City of West Hollywood will share draft recommendations on its Climate Action webpage for community review and comment. In Spring 2021, the City will share a draft version of the West Hollywood Climate Action and Adaptation Plan for public input. For more information about how to participate now and in the coming months, visit www.weho.org/climateaction.

The City of West Hollywood is dedicated to sustainability and preserving the environment. One of the City’s core values is Respect for the Environment and the City has a strong record of developing and instituting progressive and forward-thinking environmental policies.

In 2011, the City released its Climate Action Plan, which is designed to address climate change and reduce the community’s greenhouse gas emissions at the local level. Although climate change is a global problem, the City recognizes that strategies to adapt to a changing climate are best enacted at the local level to address challenges such as heat waves, wildfire smoke, and drought.

For more information about the City’s Sustainability Program, please visit www.weho.org/city-government/city-departments/planning-and-development-services/long-range-planning/sustainability-planning. For additional information, please contact the City of West Hollywood Senior Sustainability Planner, Robyn Eason at (323) 848-6558 or at reason@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Individuals are advised, at this time, to stay at home as much as possible and limit close interactions to those in your household. When in public for essential needs, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover your face. Public Health officials recommend that everyone continue to follow physical distancing and infection control directives and wear a clean face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in in public. Additionally, people 65 years old or older and all people of any age with underlying health conditions should remain at home whenever possible; people in these categories should only leave their residences to seek medical care, exercise, or obtain food or other necessities.

West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to the public and has suspended all in-person transactions. Most public City buildings and facilities remain closed. City Hall remains accessible for business and essential services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.

City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus and the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications. Sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.