Megan Mullin Headshot

A New Era of Impact

All over California and the nation, people’s everyday experiences are demonstrating the importance and urgency of the work we do at the Luskin Center for Innovation. Whether in the steady escalation of heat and drought or in the floods and fires that bring fast-moving upheaval, the impacts of environmental change are becoming more visible–and recognition is growing that those impacts reflect and reinforce historic patterns of injustice. Having spent my career studying the politics of the environment, it’s disheartening to witness the effects of society’s slow and inadequate response to the climate crisis. But right now, the politics are shifting, providing new opportunities to take action.

LCI brings research to action for effective, equitable environmental policy. LCI’s work has long been at the forefront of innovative policy to confront our most pressing environmental challenges. It’s been so gratifying to join LCI in the last year to launch a new era of impactful research that builds on past successes and elevates community-driven solutions. 

With support from donors, in partnership with government agencies and civic organizations, and enriched by student participation, our work of the last year has included: 

  • Modeling how to assess national drinking water needs, by developing the first-ever roadmap. 
  • Strengthening governance solutions for extreme heat, by creating a policy brief series that informed implementation of California’s Extreme Heat Action Plan. 
  • Helping L.A. transition to 100% renewable energy with an equity plan that could be a model for the nation.
  • Tracking and supporting groundbreaking, local climate action as evaluators of California’s Transformative Climate Communities Program in six communities and  pulling lessons to advise the federal government on unprecedented levels of new climate investments. 
  • Leading on wastewater and sanitation justice, by conducting the first-ever, comprehensive assessment of California’s aging wastewater infrastructure. 

Everywhere we look–within communities and among government officials, across public and private sectors–we’re seeing bold new ambition to enable the environmental transitions we need. LCI’s team has the expertise, the experience, and the creativity to shape policies that deliver for all of us. 

Learn more about LCI’s work through this website. We welcome support from donors and collaborations with civic partners to advance environmental policy that can be a model for the nation and the world. 

Sincerely,

Megan Mullin, faculty director