City of Pico Rivera's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan Dashboard

city & local economy

Deep Dive into City & Local Economy

The City & Economy sector contributes to emissions across transportation, buildings, waste, and water use sectors. While City operations make up only a small percentage of Pico Rivera’s total emissions, the City is committed to leading by example on climate action and adaptation within the Pico Rivera community and broader region.

We aim to reduce City government greenhouse gas emissions, build a green economy, and inspire communitywide climate action through outreach, engagement, and leadership.

Specifically, the City has committed to:

Strategy 1. Lead by example

Action ID	Action Name	Brief Action Description
CE 1.1	City building emissions reduction	Reduce GHG emissions in the City’s municipal buildings and establish related goals and targets
CE 1.2	City vehicle electrification	Transition the City’s municipal vehicle fleet to all electric
CE 1.3	Regional collaboration	Continue to partner with local and regional groups to advance regional climate initiatives
CE 1.4	Action implementation	Increase the Pico Rivera Office of Sustainability’s capacity to advance sustainability goals and implement the CAAP
CE 1.5	Refrigerants management	Minimize refrigerant emissions in City operations and the community

Strategy 2. Build a green economy

Action ID	Action Name	Brief Action Description
CE 2.1	Green workforce and training opportunities	Offer sustainable economic development opportunities and green job training initiatives
CE 2.2	Sustainable business certification	Recognize and promote businesses and nonprofits that use sustainable practices in their operations

what the city is doing

City Building Emissions Reduction

Action: Reduce GHG emissions in the City’s municipal buildings and establish related goals and targets.

Upgrading City buildings with clean energy, energy storage, and efficiency improvements reduces emissions and lowers operating costs. Leading by example shows how smart building investments can save money and reduce environmental impacts.

The City will set a timeline to achieve the following goals: add on-site solar and renewable energy storage systems, track building energy and water performance, and transition City facilities to become Triple Net Zero (zero net energy, zero net waste, and zero net GHG emissions).

Timeline: Ongoing

Progress: The City has installed 11 heat pump water heaters in select City buildings since 2023. Heat pumps convert building heating and cooling systems to electricity. As the electricity supply becomes increasingly renewable, electric heating and cooling systems will decrease in emissions.

Image above shows heat pump water heater replacement at one of the City’s park facilities.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Pico Rivera

City Vehicle Electrification

Action: Transition the City’s municipal vehicle fleet to all electric.

Switching City vehicles to electric reduces pollution, fuel costs, and maintenance needs. Expanding public charging at City facilities can also possibly support cleaner transportation across the community. The City currently has over 80 vehicles used for services.

Timeline: Ongoing

Progress: The City has 5 electric vehicles (EVs) in its fleet and 2 EV charging stations at its facilities as of 2025. The City is currently developing a Zero-Emissions Fleet and Infrastructure Management Plan to execute a more coordinated strategy for state compliant fleet purchasing and future EV infrastructure installations.

Image above highlights one of the 4 Ford Lightnings that now make up part of the City’s fully EV fleet vehicles.

Refrigerants Management

Action: Minimize refrigerant emissions in City operations and the community.

Refrigerants used in cooling systems can be powerful climate pollutants if not properly managed. Using low-carbon alternatives and improving disposal practices reduces emissions while improving system efficiency.

The City will:

Give preference to low-carbon refrigerants and ensuring their proper disposal in municipal operations.
Substitute outdated refrigerants with alternatives with lower global warming potentials in municipal operations.
Assist local businesses in enhancing efficiency and reducing emissions associated with refrigerants.

Timeline: Ongoing

Progress: The City has progressively installed heat pump HVAC systems in City facilities, which reduce refrigerant emissions and improve energy efficiency compared to conventional heating and cooling systems.

Image above shows City facility HVAC system getting routine maintenance to ensure efficiency and longevity.

Green Workforce

Action: Offer sustainable economic development opportunities and green job training initiatives.

Investing in green job training prepares residents for careers in clean energy, building retrofits, and climate-resilient industries. These programs support economic opportunity while strengthening community resilience to climate impacts.

The City will collaborate with regional workforce and economic development organizations, such as the Pacific Gateway Workforce Innovation Network and San Geronimo Valley Community Center, to improve workforce resilience to extreme heat and establish green industry workforce development programs for community members disproportionately affected by climate change.

Specific industries to prioritize may include renewable energy, green construction and building materials, water conservation, building retrofits, and public transportation.

Timeline: Medium term (5-10 years)

Progress: In 2025 the City embarked on the Tree Adoption Program and alongside it developed the Greenworks program. Greenworks sourced local youth from the City to hire and train them in proper tree planting, general care, and program canvassing efforts. Given the success of the program, the Greenworks model provides a framework for future programming and local employment opportunities. The Emprendedores Workshop Series coordinated in 2025 by the City’s Community and Economic Development (CED) Department is another free training opportunity targeted towards empowering and enriching Spanish-speaking populations in the community.

Image above depicts the Greenworks team at the City’s 2026 Earth Day celebration providing direction on tree planting to a larger group of resident volunteers.

Sustainable Business Certification

Action: Recognize and promote businesses and nonprofits that use sustainable practices in their operations and promote environmental awareness in the community.

Highlighting local organizations that adopt sustainable practices encourages innovation and environmental leadership. Recognition programs help businesses save resources while inspiring others to follow suit.

Timeline: Near term (within 5 years)

Progress: The next step on this action is to outline the program.

Image above shows a workshop for local restaurant owners. At this training, information is provided on sustainability specifically highlighting proper food waste disposal and donation requirements with state agencies. Incorporating this information on sustainability is one of the ways the City exposes local entities to sustainable business practices.

Regional Collaboration

Action: Continue to partner with local and regional groups to advance regional climate initiatives.

Climate challenges cross city boundaries, and regional partnerships help scale solutions faster. Working with neighboring cities and regional agencies strengthens climate action and community resilience.

Timeline: Ongoing

Progress: The City currently partners with local organizations such as DayOne, San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps, neighboring cities, the Southern CA Association of Governments (SCAG), Gateway Council of Governments (GCCOG), and other Los Angeles County groups.

Image above features City partners SoCalREN and Gateway Cities Council of Governments (GCCOG) boothing at Earth Day 2026.

Action Implementation

Action: Increase the Pico Rivera Office of Sustainability’s capacity to advance sustainability goals and implement the CAAP.

A well-resourced Office of Sustainability helps coordinate climate actions across City departments and track progress over time. Dedicated staffing and funding ensure climate goals move from planning to implementation.

Roles may include:

Coordinating with City departments and providing resources for implementing CAAP actions.
Seeking consistent and sufficient annual funding and exploring state/federal grants to implement Pico Rivera’s CAAP actions.
Facilitating CAAP action updates and tracking progress on ongoing sustainability efforts.

Timeline: Ongoing

Progress: In 2021, the Pico Rivera Office of Sustainability opened, expanding the City’s capacity to implement climate and sustainability programs and initiatives. The City is leveraging local assistance funds to sponsor educational programs for youth, host 17 special waste collection events, and create advocacy outreach materials about proper recycling practices. In January 2025, the Office of Sustainability adopted the City’s first Climate Action & Adaptation Plan.

Image above shows City Hall. This facility is where residents can ask questions and meet with the Office of Sustainability team in person.

what can you do

Subscribe to City PROFILE

Want to stay up-to-date regarding the City’s progress on climate action and sustainability projects?

Subscribe to City PROFILE for regular updates. The newsletter is sent to your email the first week of each month to provide important updates about the City’s initiatives. Find the archive here: https://www.pico-rivera.org/profile/.

See the City’s social media pages (https://www.pico-rivera.org/official-city-socialmedia-channels/) for more opportunities to stay involved.