OUR VISION

Co-created, democratized, healthy, thriving, climate-resilient communities for all in the City of Angels.

OUR APPROACH

The Office of Climate Emergency Mobilization’s collaborative approach combines meaningful community engagement & mobilization, as per our CEMO Blueprint, with Equity as a throughline. Our goal centers on equitable climate solutions and the creation of a healthy, thriving, resilient Los Angeles. Our blueprint includes the activation of a community-led Climate Emergency Mobilization Commission (CEMC), ongoing community assemblies, and virtual events, since we believe an aware and engaged public will be key to the effective implementation of equitable climate policies and in line with LA’s Green New Deal.

ACHIEVING EQUITY

To guide our City’s decision makers on creating equitable climate policy, we are compelled to develop climate equity metrics. The following definition captures the spirit and intent to achieve this goal.

“It is when all people have full and equal access to opportunities that enable them to attain their full potential. Equity differs from equality in that the latter gives each person the same thing to achieve fairness. Please note that “justice” involves removing systemic barriers that lead to inequity.”

THE CITY of LA’s first Chief Heat Officer and CEMO Director

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MARTA SEGURA, M.P.H.

Chief Heat Officer & CEMO Director

Segura serves a dual role as the City of Los Angeles’ founding Chief Heat Officer and Director of Climate Emergency Mobilization. Segura is one of seven Chief Heat Officers worldwide, and the only Latina in the Nation to serve in those respective roles. Segura is a thought leader and policy expert in environmental health, public health, and stakeholder engagement. She has held executive and leadership roles with public, philanthropic, private, institutional, and non-profit sectors to design, implement, and drive equitable climate policy that promotes healthier and more engaged communities.

Segura’s extensive track record in environmental health sciences, climate, and environmental justice policy makes her an excellent fit for the collaborative approach of her current roles in the City of Los Angeles. Segura excels in stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and building partnerships and coalitions. Not surprisingly, Segura holds the advanced degree of Master of Public Health (MPH) from UCLA, which led her to serve as a Program Officer for the California Endowment, then the largest health foundation on the west coast. She was also the first Latina Program Director for the UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (UCLA-LOSH) at the UCLA Labor Center. Segura was the first Statewide Organizing Director in Los Angeles for Communities for a Better Environment during its nascent years in Southern California, and was swiftly promoted to Statewide Associate Director. She also pioneered the community co-design of parks and open spaces in the early years of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust. She later served as Planning Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles, District Director for Los Angeles City Council District 13, and as the founding Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, while serving as a Board member.

Segura is committed to building and connecting community voices to achieve healthier, thriving, climate-adapted communities for all. Marta is the daughter of cannery workers, and knows all too well what it is like to grow up with childhood asthma, excessive air pollution from living next to freeways, and displacement. She is passionate about her role in shaping equitable climate policy for the City of Los Angeles by providing frontline communities and the broader LA voices a seat at the decision-making table.

OUR STORY

The climate emergency and extreme heat hazards, coupled with the dire impacts on frontline and historically disinvested communities in the City of Los Angeles, inspired the creation of the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office (CEMO). The CEMO, guided by the principles of environmental justice, aligns with LA’s Green New Deal and collaborates with City Departments and Bureaus through meaningful engagement with environmental and frontline leaders and their communities to mitigate climate emergencies such as extreme heat.

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Equitable & Impactful Climate Solutions For All Angelenos

The CEMO focuses on addressing and engaging the voices of frontline communities and the broader LA community to create a dialogue, and mobilize their voices to create equitable climate policies and initiatives. Climate change is adversely impacting frontline communities unequally, and has created historical and direct health and economic threats to our communities of color. These communities are the most pollution burdened, health burdened, and have the least access to economic mobility. A clean energy transformation and infrastructure investments can bring affordable and subsidized options to fulfill the vision of this green transition for all.

The CEMO convenes ongoing Community Assemblies through its Climate Equity LA Series, in coordination with frontline organizations and other key stakeholders throughout Los Angeles. These sessions help to integrate community knowledge and inform the Climate Emergency Mobilization Commission (CEMC) as they establish priorities. These plans will advise the City Council, Mayor, and City Departments to shape equitable climate solutions and investments.

Core Functions of our office

Ensure that the City’s climate policies have equity as a throughline and are equitably executed.
Facilitate the voices of the Community Assemblies and the Climate Emergency Mobilization Commission.
Innovate governance strategies to lift the voices of communities to shape equitable solutions. This must be the heart of the City’s climate strategy!
Coordinate and collaborate with City leaders across various departments to achieve the goals of LA’s Green New Deal.