Our Part of the Green Deal
In January, the City created a new office for managing its part of the national Green New Deal.
Los Angeles’ first-ever Climate Emergency Mobilization Office (CEMO) inside Public Works is responsible for coordinating the actions of the Mayor’s Office, City Council and community leaders to meet the commitments of L.A.’s Green New Deal. Marta Segura, a longtime environmental justice advocate and nonprofit adviser, has been named to lead the division.
“The climate crisis isn’t a distant question, but an everyday reality for families, households, businesses, workers and frontline communities across Los Angeles — and our Climate Emergency Mobilization Office will be a source of solutions for this generational challenge,” Mayor Garcetti said. “With a proven leader like Marta taking the reins, our City will stay focused on the core promises of our vision: greater equity, lower emissions, a thriving economy, and a zero-carbon, green-energy future.”
Championed by Councilmember Paul Koretz and the Leap LA coalition, the CEMO will work hand-in-hand with the Climate Emergency Commission, a group being established by the Mayor and City Council consisting of representatives from frontline communities and various climate, labor, and business leaders.
As the CEMO director, Segura will oversee the functions and policy recommendations of the office by liaising between community groups on behalf the Mayor’s Office and City Council; prioritizing environmental justice and input from those most impacted by the climate emergency in policy and program implementation; building community and civic engagement to increase input from disadvantaged neighborhoods; and collaborating with advocates and local leaders on a strategic plan to mobilize city actions on climate and air quality, among other responsibilities as the office continues to expand.
Segura has spent decades designing programs and social change campaigns for underserved L.A. communities, with her powerful combination of environmental advocacy and passion for social justice. She founded the organization Segura Strategies 4 Good to focus her work on closing the social and health gaps in Los Angeles. She previously served as a member of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission and as District Director for then-City Council President Eric Garcetti. Over the course of her career, Marta has served as a program officer at the California Endowment and as associate director of Communities for a Better Environment, one of California’s original statewide environmental justice organizations. She also holds a master’s of public health degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
“CEMO was created to respond to the worldwide climate crisis, and the hope that, in the short time we have to turn this disaster around, we can take dramatic steps and provide leadership not only in our own City, but as an example others can follow beyond our borders,” said CEMO lead author Councilmember Paul Koretz. “The CEMO was formed in a unique partnership with the Leap LA Coalition to address the urgent need to mobilize all sectors of the City with leadership from the most impacted frontline, Indigenous and labor communities to address the imminent threats to human health, safety and the very habitability of our planet. I appreciate the support from my climate-focused colleagues: Council President Nury Martinez, co-author Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, Budget Chair Councilmember Paul Krekorian, and Mayor Garcetti.”
Look for Alive! to cover this new climate office in the future. Welcome aboard, Marta!
