Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today adopted the 2025 OurCounty Sustainability Plan, the most ambitious regional roadmap in the nation. The Plan includes 179 action items to enhance the well-being and foster greater resilience in every L.A. County community.
The 2025 OurCounty Plan builds upon the original 2019 blueprint that set forth 12 overarching sustainability goals for the region grounded in the co-equal values of environment, equity, and economy. More than half of the action items in the original Plan have been achieved or are on track to be achieved by the target dates.
View the 2025 OurCounty Sustainability Plan
The 2025 OurCounty plan reflects strong continued leadership by the Chief Sustainability Office to chart a path that is far reaching and deep in its impact. It’s been a great joy to collaborate with the CSO team and make way for a more equitable and sustainable LA County.Mikayla Hoskins, Buro Happold Associate Principal | Strategy & Policy Leader
The 2025 update reflects six years of progress and learning that included resident engagement, research, and data analysis to assess gains and identify new opportunities. The Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office (CSO) worked with partners and communities to discuss progress and the future direction of sustainability actions through Countywide pop-up events, a Countywide survey, and a series of in-person and virtual topical stakeholder workshops.
Some of Los Angeles County’s notable achievements since 2019:
- Adoption of an ordinance to phase out oil/gas extraction in unincorporated L.A. County
- Development of more than 110 acres of new parkland in unincorporated areas
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from County operations by over 40% since 2009
- Installation of 1,500 EV chargers at County facilities and expansion of the electric/hybrid County fleet
- Investment of nearly $1 billion in multi-benefit stormwater capture projects
Nearly 70% of survey respondents agreed that Los Angeles County is more sustainable than it was five years ago, while a smaller number feel the region is better prepared for climate change (62%). Across every part of the County, air quality is by far the top concern for residents, according to the survey. Water pollution, affordable housing, utility costs, and clean energy rounded out the top five.
It’s a rare opportunity to build upon the success of a foundational plan like the original OurCounty Sustainability Plan we helped develop with the Chief Sustainability Office over 5 years ago. That plan was extremely successful from its inception, a testament to the hard work from the Chief Sustainability Office. The 2025 OurCounty plan is even more robust, featuring significant engagement and feedback from underserved communities to create an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future for LA County.Adam Friedberg, Buro Happold Partner | Public & Civic Sector Leader
The updated Plan envisions streets and parks that are accessible, safe, and welcoming to everyone; air, water, and soil that are clean and healthy; affordable housing that enables all residents to thrive in place; climate-ready communities that are informed and prepared, and that have infrastructure that supports them today and that will perform in a changing climate; and a just economy that runs on clean and affordable renewable energy instead of dirty fossil fuels.
The 2025 OurCounty plan is a powerful demonstration of Los Angeles County’s leadership in advancing equity, inclusive economic growth, and environmental sustainability. I am grateful for the thoughtful collaboration among our project partners and excited to see this ambitious vision move into action.Sarah Smyth, Buro Happold Senior Consultant | Strategy & Policy
OurCounty brings together the vast array of sustainability policies, programs, and projects that County departments are working on under a single integrated framework. This unified approach helps residents, partners, and cities see the region’s shared vision and work together across jurisdictions to achieve it. Collaboration across County departments and local governments will be essential to delivering on these goals.
New and expanded focus areas in the 2025 Plan include:
- Wildfire Risk Management: Implementing the Community Wildfire Protection Ordinance, updating climate-informed building codes, advocating for equitable insurance practices, and enhancing ecosystems to reduce wildfire risk and improve recovery.
- Community Resilience: Expanding battery storage systems and microgrids at County facilities, identifying community spaces for potential resilience hubs, and co-creating resilience training and
programming with local organizations. - Tribal and Indigenous Partnership: Establishing an Office of Tribal Affairs, supporting Indigenous land stewardship models, and embedding traditional ecological knowledge into climate adaptation and resilience planning.
- Ocean and Marine Systems: Promoting sustainable aquaculture, piloting solutions to reduce nutrient pollution and ocean acidification, restoring coastal and marine habitats, and developing a regional coastal resilience strategy.
- Green Goods Movement: Transitioning to zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, implementing the Truck Route Master Plan, and investing in electrified rail infrastructure to reduce freight emissions and improve air quality.
- Green Economy: Identifying priority growth sectors through a Green Economy Study, expanding equitable workforce development programming, supporting ethical AI innovation, and strengthening small business ecosystems to ensure inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
- Resource Circularity: Increasing use of sustainable building materials in County projects, support for local upcycling and recycling markets, repurposing salvaged materials for public art, and a comprehensive inventory of local reuse, repair, and material recovery services.
The 2025 OurCounty Sustainability Plan unifies the County’s sustainability efforts under a single framework, encouraging collaboration across departments and jurisdictions. It sets a precedent for bold, community-driven climate action and positions Los Angeles County as a national leader in sustainability.
Source: https://www.burohappold.com/
