Study: L.A. County Faces $12.5 Billion in Climate Costs through 2040

LOS ANGELES COUNTY — Protecting Los Angeles County communities from 14 different climate change impacts will cost taxpayers at least $12.5 billion by the end of 2040, a new study from the Center for Climate Integrity and Resilient Analytics shows.

“Los Angeles County’s Climate Cost Challenge: A $12.5 Billion Bill to Protect Communities Through 2040” is the first-ever estimate of the costs Los Angeles County communities will face to protect infrastructure and residents from extreme heat, increased precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, climate-induced public health threats, and other impacts. 

The study identified the following climate adaptation costs facing Los Angeles County:

• Improving stormwater management to mitigate flooding ($4.3 billion)
• Investing in cool pavements to combat heat ($2.5 billion)
• Planting and maintaining trees to combat urban heat islands ($1.4 billion)
• Responding to an increase of childhood asthma and West Nile Virus cases ($1.1 billion)
• Mitigating wildfire damage ($919 million)
• Heating and cooling public buildings in response to changing temperature ($710 million)
• Increased road maintenance because of heavy rain and heat stress ($680 million)
• Building coastal defenses to protect infrastructure from rising seas ($576 million)
• Reinforcing bridges against anticipated climate wear and tear ($135 million)
• Treating drinking water during increased droughts ($130 million)
• Expanding and operating cooling centers ($59 million)
• Making light rail tracks resilient to increasing temperatures ($17 million)
• Upgrading air conditioning in public buildings ($1 million)

The study employed conservative ‘least-cost’ estimates under a moderate climate scenario and did not calculate all the climate impact the Los Angeles County region will ultimately experience. As the climate crisis worsens, total costs will likely be much higher. 

Climate change costs will continue to fall on taxpayers — but officials could make polluters pay instead. The Center for Climate Integrity argues that major fossil fuel companies, whose decades-long deception and pollution have fueled the climate crisis, should be held accountable to pay their fair share of Los Angeles County’s necessary climate adaptations.

“We are in a climate crisis because Big Oil companies lied about their products for decades; it’s only right that they pay their share for the costs they have imposed on communities,” the study reads. “Dozens of states and communities, including the State of California and eight California municipalities, have filed lawsuits to recover the costs of climate damages from major oil companies, following the same legal framework as landmark tobacco and opioid lawsuits. Each and every community in Los Angeles County should consider bringing similar legal actions to hold climate polluters accountable and ensure that taxpayers aren't left to pay the bill alone."

A new poll released today from Data for Progress and CCI shows that 74% of Los Angeles County voters support suing oil and gas companies to make them pay their fair share of climate costs. 

Read the full study and detailed climate cost projections for Los Angeles County communities here.