“We can only achieve our climate goals by centering our approach with the most vulnerable communities, guided by our three pillars of equity, engagement, and education.”

— Marta Segura, MPH, Chief Heat Officer & CEMO Director

Los Angeles’ first-ever Climate Emergency Mobilization Office (CEMO) was placed inside Public Works and is responsible for coordinating with the Mayor’s Office, City Council and community leaders to meet the commitments of LA's Green New Deal by collaborating with city bureaus and departments. CEMO works to identify and enact equitable climate strategies and policies to prevent, mitigate, and undo impacts from unequal pollution burdens and disinvestments from our past, and to ensure that we prioritize frontline communities to have a strong voice in policy and decision-making in the City of Los Angeles, with the support and engagement of our broader LA communities. Equity is a throughline for all of our climate work and policy development. 

In 2022, we launched the Climate Equity LA Series, the Climate Emergency Mobilization Commission, and the Heat Relief 4 LA Campaign. We have simultaneously been expanding our new office, our networks and partnerships.

In an expansion of her current role as the CEMO Director, Marta Segura had the honor of recently being designated as the City of LA’s first Chief Heat Officer, only the 6th in the world with that role. This new role focuses our work on extreme heat mitigation and heat disaster preparedness, while coordinating with the Emergency Management Department and Public Works to improve our City infrastructure for heat and climate adaptation to the ever-increasing heat waves. We have much more to do and are determined to address our most vulnerable communities, as they are the most affected by climate change and heat. Prioritizing these communities is necessary to achieving our climate goals. We must lift all boats for LA to overcome its climate crisis.