Mayor Garcetti Advances Cutting Carbon Through Procurement Policies

SACRAMENTO—Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti today effectively adopted as city procurement policy a state law designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions from building materials.

Through his Executive Directive No. 25, Garcetti has instructed the city engineer to adopt the Buy Clean California Act guidelines. That act was passed by the legislature in 2017 and applies to state agencies. It establishes a process by which agencies will purchase from less polluting manufacturers certain building materials, including steel.

The mayor’s directive also instructs the city engineer to study the use of building materials that actually sequester carbon and report back to the mayor’s office.

Statement of Kathryn Phillips, Director of Sierra Club California:

“Mayor Garcetti has taken an important step to cut climate polluting emissions from the stream of building materials that public money buys.

“Other cities have adopted resolutions supporting the Buy Clean California Act. But this is the first time a California city has strongly aligned its purchasing decisions with the act and the intent of the act.

“Purchasing power is a strong tool for persuading industries to clean up their manufacturing processes. Los Angeles has a lot of purchasing power that it is now going to be put to work to deliver even more benefits to people and the planet.”