In an urban environment like Long Beach, homes, commercial buildings, streets and sidewalks cover the vast majority of the landscape. Therefore, an essential component of a sustainable city are buildings and neighborhoods that minimize our impact on the environment while creating an active, engaging city where daily needs can be met without the use of a car.

Energy use is a vital component of sustainability because the greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity, natural gas, and transportation fuel use is the primary contributor to climate change. This section will focus primarily on initiatives and actions to reduce our carbon footprint and become more sustainable energy users with regard to stationary energy use, such as electricity and natural gas.

Eco products and services and an active, eco‐conscious community are vital to a sustainable city. Ecologically and socially responsible products can help reduce our resource use as well as reduce our harmful impact on the planet.

Our transportation choices greatly impact sustainability and our quality of life. The initiatives in this section will focus on goals and actions to improve transit options, expand bicycle infrastructure, use and education, promote a less car dependent lifestyle and reduce port‐related air emissions.

In an urban environment like Long Beach, where the most of the city is covered with buildings, streets and sidewalks, it is easy to overlook the natural environment around us and that the fact that it plays an important role in how the city looks and functions and is even a part of our City’s name. Urban nature is a part of our city from trees and parks to wetlands and beaches. Recognizing this and promoting environmental stewardship is fundamental to a sustainable city.

It is more important than ever to conserve resources by reducing waste, reusing items, and recycling. Environmentally responsible management of waste is a vital component of sustainability that combines the efforts of both government and residents.

Water conservation is vital for a sustainable city to maintain a reliable source of fresh water for daily use. The initiatives, goals and actions in this section will reduce water consumption while promoting a conservationist ethic and protecting and improving our rivers and ocean.