Sustainability 2018 to 2019

Long Beach Sustainability in 2018

Long Beach continued making progress towards a more environmentally friendly and resilient city in 2018. Many departments contributed to this progress. Here are the LB Sustainability highlights from the Year in Review.

• Established a new Green Business Certification and Recognition Program under the California Green Business Network and received a $30,000 startup grant to certify 15 businesses by March 2019.
• Co-hosted the Inaugural Ranchos Walk, a 9.5 mile walk from Rancho los Alamitos to Rancho los Cerritos and created a digital guided tour for the 400 participants to learn about Long Beach history along the route.
• Awarded a Silver Level Beacon Award recognizing the City of Long Beach’s actions to address climate change, promote energy innovation, and create more sustainable communities.
• First vacant lot contracted under the Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone program.
• Hosted 5 Smart Homebuyer Workshops to educate Long Beach home buyers and home owners on energy efficiency improvements and the Energy Efficient Mortgage.

Want more? Read the full Year in Review online at: www.longbeach.gov/mayor/news/2018-year-in-review/

New in 2019

The Office of Sustainability continues to expand its programs and services to Long Beach residents in 2019. Here is what is new at the Office of Sustainability in 2019:

• The new Fruit Tree Program will begin planting fruit trees in Long Beach residents' front yards for free. This program is made possible through grant funding from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).
• Native Plant Workshops begin this year on the second Saturday of each month at the new Native Plant Nursery at Willow Springs Park. Participants will learn about different types of plants, their care and propagation, as well as their benefits to the local ecosystem. Each workshop will also be followed by an opportunity to volunteer in the habitat restoration area.
• The Office of Sustainability is also working this year on a plan to provide a direct install program to Long Beach residents. This program would provide water and energy saving devices or home improvements along with energy assessments to residents free of charge. We are working to have a plan in place by mid 2019 and launch the program by the end of the year.

Read more about our plans for 2019 in our Work Plan.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @lbsustainability for updates on these and other programs throughout the year!