UCLA Sustainability

Free Food from UCLA Dining Halls!
2026-04-07 22:00, 2026-04-14 22:00, 2026-04-15 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Conference Room 1 in the Student Activities Center Basement, 220 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Join Bruin Dine for food recovery events every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 10PM in the SAC Basement (unless otherwise announced)! Please bring your own tupperware and utensils!
Follow https://www.instagram.com/uclabruindine/ for additional updates!

Los Angeles Climate Week
2026-04-08 - 2026-04-15 | Los Angeles
Join Los Angeles Climate Week™ to collaborate, exchange ideas, and develop local climate solutions. Engage with climate organizations, policymakers, innovators, companies, and changemakers from LA and beyond on cutting-edge climate change solutions.
See the list of events or get involved at the official Los Angeles Climate Week website.

Climate Careers Panel in SoCal
2026-04-08 10:00 - 11:30 | Online
What’s Next After Graduation?
Join an engaging and inspiring panel discussion featuring industry professionals working at the forefront of sustainability and climate action.
This event brings together leaders from diverse sectors to share their career journeys, discuss emerging opportunities, and highlight the many pathways available to create meaningful impact in a rapidly evolving field.
Through conversation and interactive Q&A, you’ll gain practical advice on launching your career, building strong professional networks, and positioning yourself for climate solutions roles. You’ll also learn how your skills and passions can contribute to addressing today’s most pressing sustainability challenges.
REGISTER HERE to be part of the conversation.

Good Food For All: Food & Nutrition Webinar
2026-04-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Hear from panelists Nicole Steele of Social Justice Learning Institute, Arnali Ray of Hollywood Food Coalition, and Lena Silver of Neighborhood Legal Services LA County. This webinar will focus on a food and nutrition pillar: Ensuring all Angelenos have reliable access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food through strengthened safety net programs, community-driven food distribution, and targeted interventions.
REGISTER HERE

AILA Earth Summit
2026-04-08 14:30 - 20:00 | 1800 Abbot Kinney Blvd, 1800 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90291, United States
​Join AILA’s 7th Earth Summit, to examine the technologies, policies, and ideas shaping our climate future. From artificial intelligence to breakthrough materials science, from state climate policy to investment strategies— explore the full spectrum of how we adapt to our changing planet.
​Can we innovate our way to a sustainable future? Earth Summit brings real data and diverse perspectives about how California addresses climate challenges through policy and technology. What are the actual costs and benefits? Where are the greatest opportunities?
​Earth Summit convenes 100-150 sustainability champions, technologists, policymakers, and investors for honest conversations about progress. With a keynote speech by California State’s climate leadership, lightning talks showcasing technical breakthroughs across multiple domains, and panels examining everything from AI’s role in climate science to the business models funding our transition, you will gain a comprehensive view of the transformation.
​This is a day for builders and pragmatists — people who want facts over hype, who see challenges as opportunity, and who are ready to make something happen, across technology, policy, and investment.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE

From Ashes to Action: Growing a More Resilient Landscape, Panel 2
2026-04-08 17:00 - 19:00 | Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA, 91007, United States
At this community conversation about the new Landscape Recovery Center at Eaton Canyon, you’ll learn how native seed conservation and seed banking are guiding the next phase of restoration and helping to prepare us for a more resilient future.
MORE INFO HERE
REGISTER HERE

"Pollution is Colonialism" - A talk by Professor Max Liboiron
2026-04-09 12:15 - 13:30 | HYBRID: Haines 352 and Online, Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
The Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies, in collaboration with the UCLA Department of Anthropology’s Culture, Power, and Social Change speaker series, invites you to a book talk with Max Liboiron, Professor of Geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
In this book talk, Professor Liboiron will present a framework for understanding scientific research methods as practices that can align with or against colonialism. Professor Liboiron will be presenting virtually via Zoom. Guests can either join the presentation via Zoom room or in person.
Space is limited in 352 Haines Hall, so please RSVP at your earliest convenience. Lunch will be provided for all in-person attendees.
REGISTER HERE

Webinar | The Plastic Detox: A Conversation About Plastic & Health
2026-04-09 14:00 - 15:00 | Online
In the new documentary The Plastic Detox, six couples experiencing infertility embark on a journey to lower their plastic intake in hopes of improving their health and chances of pregnancy. The documentary features scientists and community organizers, as they explore how microplastics and their chemicals are impacting our health and the wider issue of plastic pollution.
Plastic Pollution Coalition, in collaboration with the Oceanic Preservation Society, will host a webinar with the film’s co-director, Louie Psihoyos, environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Shanna H. Swan, Ph.D., and environmental justice leader Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr. Together, they will discuss the latest science about plastics and human health, the far-reaching impacts of the plastic pollution crisis, and the practical steps people can take to “Unplastic Your Life.” This webinar will be moderated by Dianna Cohen, Co-Founder and Chief Vision Officer, Plastic Pollution Coalition.
REGISTER HERE

Thriving Futures: Community Advocacy and Resilience After Natural Disasters
2026-04-09 15:30 - 16:45 | Online
​The CDLS Thriving Futures Roundtable Series at UCLA is a public discussion initiative focused on bringing together community members for an open dialogue on building climate-resilient, equitable, and economically sustainable futures.
For the second roundtable, CDLS is excited to be hosting a discussion on “Community Advocacy and Resilience After Natural Disasters,” with a focus on regional challenges such as LA wildfires and hurricanes in the Southeast U.S.
REGISTER HERE

The Housing-Climate Connection @ LA Climate Week
2026-04-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Mithun, 758 New High St, Los Angeles, CA, 90012, United States
LA faces twin crises — a housing shortage and a climate emergency — and the solutions are more connected than most people realize.
Join a panel conversation on how infill housing and land use can be powerful tools in the fight against climate change, and what housing and climate advocates can do together to make it happen.
Co-hosted by Urban Environmentalists Los Angeles, Abundant Housing LA, and YIMBY Los Angeles, this event brings together some of the region’s sharpest voices on the housing-climate nexus for an honest conversation about evidence, policy, and coalition-building.
Panelists:

Nancy Barba, Frontier Energy
Loraine Lundquist, LA Forward
Stephanie Pincetl, California Center for Sustainable Communities, UCLA

Moderated by Chris Rhie, Urban Environmentalists Los Angeles
Free and open to the public
REGISTER HERE

"Smog and Sunshine” - A Book Talk with Ann Carlson
2026-04-10 12:15 - 13:30 | UCLA School of Law, 385 Charles E. Young Drive East , Los Angeles , CA, 90095, United States
Join a conversation about an exciting environmental success story that too few Americans know in detail.
In Smog and Sunshine, UCLA Law professor and LA native Ann Carlson recounts the dramatic policy fights and the determined scientists, lawyers, and community members who worked alongside public officials to face off against major polluters and save their city. Like the book, this event will highlight the work of advocates, academics, regulators, and everyday people who refused to turn a blind eye to the toll dirty air was taking in Los Angeles and across Southern California. The conversation will also touch on lessons learned and how to channel them for the broader fight for clean air and to fight climate change.
REGISTER HERE
In a time of unprecedented climate change and skepticism about government and science, Carlson’s book is an inspiring reminder of what concerned residents and all levels of government can achieve by working together.
Carlson is the Shirley Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law and Faculty Director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
Smog and Sunshine: the Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air, to be released on April 7, during LA Climate Week. Pre-order available here.
Books will be available for purchase before and during the event.
Please contact Heather Morphew, morphew@law.ucla.edu, with any questions.

“The Evolution of Animal Consciousness” – Eva Jablonka, Prof. Emerita, Tel Aviv University
2026-04-10 16:00 - 18:00 | Herbert Morris Humanities Seminar Room | Royce 306, 10745 Dickson Ct, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
The study of animal consciousness is becoming a respectable domain of study, which has implications for neuroscience, evolutionary biology and ethics. This lecture will discuss the theoretical commitments of different naturalistic approaches to animal consciousness and point to markers of consciousness, ending by discussing the implications of the evolutionary approach for consciousness studies and for research in evolutionary biology.
Eva Jablonka is Professor emerita, The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel-Aviv University. At present, she is a visiting fellow in the Simons Center for Systems Biology in the IAS, Princeton.
RSVP HERE

Where Youth and Government Meet: Aligning Climate Priorities in Los Angeles
2026-04-10 18:00 - 19:30 | HYBRID: UCLA and Zoom
Are you curious about what the future of climate policy is going to look like in Los Angeles?
Join for an evening that will bring together youth climate leaders and government representatives from LA County to explore how their perspectives on climate action compare and connect.
The panel will feature youth advocates under 18 alongside government representatives from Los Angeles County. Together, they will discuss their climate priorities, areas where youth and government perspectives align, where they differ, and where there is opportunity for stronger collaboration. The event is designed to give attendees a rare opportunity to hear directly from young people about the climate concerns shaping their generation, while fostering meaningful dialogue with the public officials responsible for implementing climate policy. Audience members will leave energized, with a renewed understanding of how youth perspectives can inform their climate work.
This event is free and open to the public, including residents, neighborhood council members, professionals, families, students, and anyone interested in strengthening youth perspectives into climate policy. No prior expertise required, but registration is required.
REGISTER HERE
A virtual option will be provided for those who can not make it in person. A free, fully plant-based dinner will be served to the first 50 registered guests in alignment with LA Climate Week sustainability recommendations.

Food, Culture, Climate: Exploring Food Justice with Isaias Hernandez
2026-04-10 18:30 - 21:00 | Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA, 90403, United States
Learn and discuss how food justice can help build a more just and regenerative future!
Join an engaging evening to explore the intersections of food, culture, and climate with environmental educator Isaias Hernandez, founder of QueerBrownVegan.
Isaias will delve into key food justice topics including community land stewardship and local food systems. He will reflect on how land functions as a living archive of ecology and culture, shaping the ways we understand and interact with the environments around us.
Drawing from inspiring stories across Los Angeles, he will highlight how communities are reconnecting with the land through practices like community gardening and composting.
Come gather with community members, experience one of our thriving community gardens, learn about food justice, hear about local community-led sustainability efforts, and share your thoughts and ideas!
REGISTER HERE

Green Careers for All Recruitment Event
2026-04-11 09:45 - 12:00 | IBEW Electrical Training Institute, 6023 S. Garfield Ave, Commerce, CA, 90040, United States
This event will be a dynamic, in-person gathering focused on connecting attendees directly with career pathways in the clean energy and environmental sectors. Participants will have the chance to meet employers, explore training and education opportunities, and discover how they can play a role in building a healthier, more sustainable future.
REGISTER HERE

Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts Earth Day 2026 Festival
2026-04-11 10:00 - 14:00 | Sanitation Districts’ Joint Administration Office, 1955 Workman Mill Road, Whittier, CA, 90601, United States
Rain or shine- it’s Earth Day time!
Join a fun-filled day to learn how you too can help protect the environment.
MORE INFO HERE

Opening Celebration: Mountain Spirits
2026-04-11 18:00 - 21:00 | Fowler Museum
Celebrate the opening of Mountain Spirits: Rice and Indigeneity in the Northern Luzon Highlands, Philippines, with an evening of music and dance honoring cultural pride and the enduring connections between the Philippines and Los Angeles.
LEARN MORE HERE

Exhibition Walk-through: Mountain Spirits
2026-04-12 13:00 - 14:00 | Fowler Museum
Join an exhibition walk-through of Mountain Spirits: Rice and Indigeneity in the Northern Luzon Highlands, Philippines, led by guest co-curators Stephen Acabado (UCLA) and Marlon Martin (Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement). The walkthrough offers unique perspectives on the research, community partnerships, and ancestral knowledge that shaped this exhibition. Visitors will gain deeper insight into the tinawon (rice cycle), mumbaki rituals, and the intricate relationship between ecology, spirituality, and craftsmanship that define Ifugao life.
REGISTER HERE

LA Climate Reality Project and LA Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance tour of Athens Materials Recovery Facility
2026-04-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Irwindale Materials Recovery Facility, 2200 Arrow Hwy, Irwindale, CA, 91706, United States
​Tour of Athens Services Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in the City of Irwindale, providing waste services to millions of residents in Greater Los Angeles. Tour hosted by Los Angeles Climate Reality Project and Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE

Botany Brown Bag with Dr. Theresa Ambo
2026-04-13 12:00 - 13:00 | UCLA Mildred E Mathias Botanical Garden, La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Dr, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
Join for another installment of Botany Brown Bag. Dr. Theresa Ambo will give a talk titled “Moving Beyond Land Acknowledgements.”
Formal land acknowledgments are an evolving practice designed to recognize local Indigenous Peoples and lands. Despite this uptake, land acknowledgements remain understudied and often misunderstood with regard to purpose, tone, responsibility, significance for educational equity, and implications for the measurable support of local Indigenous communities named in these statements. In the lecture, Dr. Ambo will share about the emergence and adoption of land acknowledgement practices, including her current research on over 400 formal and informal statements from land-grab universities across the United States. She will provide practical recommendations for moving beyond moments of acknowledgement to support tribal sovereignty and self-determination.
Make sure to bring your lunch!
This event is free and open to the public, no RSVP required!

“Evolutionary Theory and the Unification of Life Sciences in the 21st Century” – Eva Jablonka, Prof. Emerita, Tel Aviv University
2026-04-13 12:00 - 13:30 | Haines Hall Room 352, 375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Eva Jablonka is Professor emerita, The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel-Aviv University. At present, she is a visiting fellow in the Simons Center for Systems Biology in the IAS, Princeton.
This lecture is part of the Frank Marlowe Memorial Lecture Series, in the Center for Behavior, Evolution and Culture.
Jablonka will argue that the changes in our current view of evolutionary theory are leading to a new unification of life-sciences, which is occurring, seemingly paradoxically, within the context of their increased specialization and fracturing. Unlike the modern evolutionary synthesis of the 20th century (the MS) which claimed that selection is the only direction-giving process in evolution, the current synthesis incorporates not only new biological domains but also processes that were excluded by the MS.
RSVP HERE
There will also be a reception to launch the exhibition of artwork by Jablonka’s collaborator, Anna Zeligowski, with food and drinks at 5:30 – 7:00 PM in Dodd Hall 321.

Music Sustainability Summit
2026-04-14 08:00 - 19:00 | Solotech Studios, 1017 N Las Palmas Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90038, United States
The Music Sustainability Summit returns for its third year, convening professionals from across the live and recorded music ecosystem to advance sustainability in the industry. MSS26 focuses on the ideas and initiatives that reshape how music is made, performed, and experienced. Join artists, venue operators, tour managers, promoters, and more for a day of learning, networking, and action.

Check in/Coffee: 8am
Summit: 9am-5:30pm
Reception: 5:30pm-7pm

MSS26 is produced by the Music Sustainability Alliance (MSA), a 501c3 nonprofit organization. MSA’s mission is to embed sustainability in the music industry’s DNA by convening stakeholders to showcase and accelerate initiatives where sustainability becomes the norm, inspiring audiences to carry those values and empowering artists to advocate for sustainable behaviors by their teams, venues, and fans.
REGISTER HERE
**Music Sustainability Summit Scholarship Application**
MSA is proud to announce the latest round of the MSA Scholarship Program, in partnership with Warner Music Group. The scholarship is designed for those dedicated to the intersection of art and advocacy.
LEARN MORE AND APPLY HERE
Application Deadline: March 6

Building a Resilient Climate Career
2026-04-14 17:00 - 19:00 | UCLA Anderson School of Management, 110 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, 90095, United States
​Join for an evening focused on how to build a meaningful and resilient career in climate, energy, and sustainability.
The program will begin with a dynamic panel exploring diverse pathways across the climate landscape, from corporate roles to startups and nonprofits, highlighting the many ways professionals are driving impact.
​The evening concludes with a networking reception, offering the opportunity to connect with speakers and peers across the UCLA and broader LA climate community.
​​​​The agenda:
4:50pm – Doors open, check-in
5:00pm – Welcome & introductions
5:10pm – 5:40pm – Panel: Many Roads to Climate Impact: Exploring Diverse Career Pathways
5:40pm – 6pm Solar-side chat: Think like a Climate Recruiter
6:00pm – 7:00pm – Networking reception
REGISTER HERE
By registering for this event, you agree to share your registration information with the LA Climate Week Organizers.

Water for Life: Film Screening and Discussion
2026-04-14 19:30 - 22:00 | Hammer Museum, Bay-Nimoy Theatre, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90024, United States
Water For Life tells the story of three extraordinary individuals: Berta Cáceres, a Lenca Indigenous leader in Honduras; Francisco Piñeda, a subsistence farmer in El Salvador; and Alberto Curamil, an Indigenous Mapuche Chief in Chile, all of whom refused to let government-supported industry and Transnational Corporations take their water and redirect it to mining, hydroelectric, or large scale industrial agriculture projects. The screening is followed by a conversation on the diversion of water resources from the Owens Valley to Los Angeles and its impact on local tribal communities.
The screening will be followed by a conversation with Teri Red Owl, Executive Director of the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission, and the struggle of the local Paiute Tribes of Payahuunadü (the Owens Valley) to protect and reclaim water resources diverted to Los Angeles.
Ticketing: Admission is free. Your seat will be assigned to you when you pick up your ticket at the box office. Seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis, limit one per visitor. Box office opens one hour before the event.

2026 Luskin Summit, Building Power Through Local Solutions
2026-04-15 07:30 - 14:30 | UCLA Luskin Conference Center, 425 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
The 2026 Luskin Summit, Building Power Through Local Solutions, will examine how California communities can build power to address vulnerability through locally driven policy action that advances equity, and well-being. The Summit will emphasize that lasting change comes not from one-size-fits-all approaches, but from empowering local governments, institutions, and communities to shape solutions that reflect their needs and strengths.
Grounded in UCLA Luskin’s commitment to tackling society’s most urgent challenges, the Summit will explore how vulnerability is shaped by policy choices—and how power can be built through collaboration, accountability, and strategic action at the local and regional levels. Conversations will focus on how communities can leverage policy tools, data, and partnerships to translate broad goals into concrete, on-the-ground outcomes.
UCLA Luskin faculty and researchers will join policymakers, nonprofit leaders, and community partners to analyze the systems that influence everyday life and to identify opportunities for reform. This year’s discussions will examine the local implementation of SB 79, California’s new housing development law; community-centered responses to environmental challenges such as plastics and mega-events; strategies to strengthen transit safety; and approaches to addressing market concentration and intergenerational inequities—highlighting how building power locally can produce durable, equitable solutions across California.
REGISTER HERE

Foundations of Green Building
2026-04-15 10:00 - 14:00
Join to learn about the foundations of green building design, materials, and jobs. Earn 4 GBCI credits & a certificate after a quiz.
Buildings wield significant influence over our environment, neighboring communities, and the individuals who inhabit them. Recognizing and mitigating these impacts through building modernization is crucial. In this course, you will delve into the intricacies of green, high-performing buildings, exploring elements such as building design, operational strategies, project location, and materials selection. You’ll also gain insights into the expanding realm of green jobs, a vital component of this sustainable transition. Upon successful completion of a 25-question exam following the class, attendees will receive a certificate of completion.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Learn the concepts and causes of Climate Change with an emphasis on how the built environment contributes to climate change.
2. Learn designs, techniques, and strategies to minimize a building’s environmental impacts, including reducing emissions, increasing energy, water, and waste efficiency, materials life cycle impacts, and strong Indoor Environmental Quality.
3. Learn about the spectrum of green jobs needed to design, build, maintain, and occupy high-performance, sustainable buildings.
4. Learn about third-party green building rating systems and their associated credentials, including LEED, WELL, LBC, and BREEAM.
REGISTER HERE

Good Food For All: Environmental Sustainability Webinar
2026-04-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Hear from panelists Florence Simpson of LAUSD, Li Schmidt of UCANR, and Ryan Jackson of LA Compost. This webinar will focus on an environmental sustainability pillar: Protecting natural resources, reducing food waste, supporting local farms, and building climate-resilient infrastructure to create a sustainable food system for generations to come.
REGISTER HERE

Clean Air Conversations webinar: The Future of Green Vehicle Technology
2026-04-16 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Join a forward-looking conversation, with a focus on building the workforce that will power the clean transportation transition. As zero-emission and clean vehicle technologies continue to advance, developing a skilled workforce is critical to ensuring these innovations reach scale and deliver lasting environmental and economic benefits.
Hear from academic, industry, and nonprofit leaders —including Prof. David Blekhman of California State University, Los Angeles; JoAnne Golden of TRC Companies; and Terry Tamminen of AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles—as they explore emerging green vehicle technologies, the evolving clean tech workforce landscape, and the opportunities ahead for training the next generation of leaders in sustainable transportation.
REGISTER HERE
