- July 21, 2022
On July 21, 2022, Aspen Germany hosted an exclusive breakfast discussion with Kevin de León, Councilmember of the Los Angeles City Council and former President pro Tempore of the California State Senate. The discussion was moderated by Matt Petersen, President & CEO of Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and Participant of Aspen Germany’s Future Cities Project. It addressed the responsibility of subnational actors in addressing climate change, the impact of subnational climate action, and international collaboration opportunities to develop novel solutions to today’s pressing climate challenges.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to restrict the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was a major blow to the ambitious climate agenda of the Biden Administration. The decision underscores the importance of subnational climate action to fight the climate crisis. Cities and states have served as laboratories for innovative climate and energy policies to mitigate climate change and adapt to its negative effects such as extreme weather events, Los Angeles and California being such leaders. On a city level, policymakers have not only developed concrete solutions to problems such as water scarcity, but also turned to global cooperation through initiatives like the C40 network, which counts Berlin and Los Angeles among its members.
