The non-profit organization Project O has certified the City of Malibu as a “Blue City” through the Blue City Network (BCN) in recognition of Malibu’s commitment to healthy waterways and oceans.
“Malibu’s lifestyle revolves around enjoying our beautiful ocean and mountain surroundings, and the City was founded on principles of environmental protection, so we are honored to be named a Blue City,” said Mayor Paul Grisanti. “We have a long record as a leader on environmental policies and protections and we look forward to collaborating with fellow Blue Cities on environmental issues.”
“We’re honored to welcome Malibu as the newest member of the BCN. This certification proves that Malibu has taken measurable action through policy and conservancy to protect the ocean and waterways,” said Evelina Marchetti, BCN Executive Director of Operations.
The Blue City certification uses a data-driven approach to assess each community’s efforts towards protecting the world’s oceans. Upon certification, participants become part of the BNC, a coalition of communities from around the world that collaborate in their ongoing work to protect the environment.
Malibu completed a thorough assessment of its current environmental initiatives and programs, resulting in a rating based on the total number of points achieved. Malibu scored 360 points out of a possible 500, placing them in the Ocean Champion Tier.
Malibu has long been at the forefront of sustainability including enacting Citywide bans on polystyrene foam (2005), single-use plastic bags (2008), single-use plastic straws and utensils (2017), selecting 100% renewable electricity as the community default through Clean Power Alliance (2020), the Malibu Living Shoreline Dune Restoration (2020), restricting the use of pesticides, rodenticides and other toxic chemicals (2021), and diverting waste from landfills through organic recycling (2021).
Malibu is home to the largest Area of Special Biological Significance (ASBS), which are protected areas along California’s coast created to preserve unique and crucial local marine ecosystems. The City continues to preserve its pristine coast by preventing pollution from running off into the ocean through its elimination of single-use plastic items, Keep It Clean, Malibu outreach campaign, and Clean Bay Restaurant inspections. To learn about the City’s environmental efforts and view its 2021 Environmental Program Accomplishments Report, visit www.malibucity.org/enviro.
The BCN Certification allows communities to credibly and transparently track progress toward overall sustainability objectives. The assessment focuses on four solution areas: waste minimization; climate protection and community resilience; water quality and efficiency; and healthy ecosystems. Participants also gain access to resources and blueprints provided by environmental nonprofits, cities, and governmental agencies working with the BCN. Other certified Blue cities include Manhattan Beach, Imperial Beach and Santa Monica.
The BCN is supported by Project O, a non-profit, 501c3 organization based in Laguna Beach, California. By restoring, protecting and sustaining the ocean and all that lives in it, Project O works toward the wellbeing of humankind now and for generations to come through various programs and projects, such as developing and supporting innovative partner programs for ocean conservation, and educating the next generation to protect the ocean and make cleaning up plastic pollution a priority. Find out more at https://project-o.org.
Submitted by Matt Myerhoff
