Pascual said that L.A. is essentially “reclaiming what a sustainable L.A. could look like.” He pointed to recent events like CicLAvia, an event modeled on a Colombian tradition (Ciclovia), where seven and a half miles of streets in Los Angeles were closed off to car traffic and opened for pedestrians, cyclists and skaters. “An event like that “made people slow down and take a look at the environment,” he explained.

Hertzberg

Pascual, who is responsible for developing and implementing the mayor’s environmental and energy agenda, pointed out the importance of investing in solar. “This is a very challenging and daunting task because it means so many different things to so many different people,” he said. “How we move toward making it real is going to require a very thoughtful approach that some might argue is really expensive.” In the public policy context, he said, “we can all agree to it, and we are up to that challenge.”

Another speaker who focused on solar was Robert Hertzberg, founder of G24 Innovations and former speaker of the California State Assembly, who described developments in solar energy technology that have the potential to revolutionize power generation for the majority of daily uses. G24 is a manufacturer of a new type of lightweight and flexible solar cell that generates power in low, ambient and even indoor conditions.

“If you agree with the notion of sustainability, if the reality is that you believe in this challenge, then our challenge is not defined by our good will, it is defined by a global perspective and time,” Hertzberg said. He pointed out that whether it is wave technology in Northern Ireland, or biofuels in Brazil, there is some really great, innovative and imaginative stuff currently going on in the world. The challenge, he says, is how to actually make things happen and move away from just talk.

“I think it is fair to say that in the near term, it’s going to be very difficult for federal policy to be implemented,” he said. “I think there are synergies at the local level that can make things happen.”

Hertzberg encouraged the audience to figure out how to take a different and more creative approach to green. “There are hundreds of examples where things are less expensive and are actually greener and opportunities that are being missed,” he said. “This is up to you. You have to get in the game. If you really want to come up with intelligent solutions, you have to be bold…go big or go home.”

Check back tomorrow morning for Part 2 of 2 on ULI’s FutureBuildLA conference coverage.