Lauren leads strategic partnerships at Lowercarbon Capital where she helps find and grow technologies that help cities, businesses, and the world at large cut carbon emissions and make a real dent in the climate emergency.
Prior to Lowercarbon, Lauren served as the Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Los Angeles where she developed and oversaw the green transition of the second largest city in the country, including the country’s largest municipal electric and water utility, as well as the busiest Port and Airport. Over her eight years in the L.A. Mayor’s Office, Lauren ushered in a series of climate-leading actions to pursue a zero emissions Port, require that all new construction be all-electric, eliminate single-use packaging, pursue 100% recycled water and 100% clean energy, and end urban oil drilling. She also oversaw the national network of mayors committed to climate action known as Climate Mayors and LA’s Chairship of the international mayoral climate action organization C40.
Lauren is also an adjunct professor at the USC Sol Price School for Public Policy and serves as an advisor to the UN Secretary General’s High Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non State Entities (HLEG).
Lauren has spent her career working on environmental issues, from serving as West Coast Political Director for the Environmental Defense Fund to being appointed Assistant Secretary for Climate Change at the California EPA, to addressing climate change and energy as Senior Policy Advisor at the British Embassy. Lauren serves on the Boards of California Environmental Voters, WRI Ross Center for Cities, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems, and USC Center for Sustainability Solutions. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Earth Systems and Economics from Stanford University, and Master’s degree in Climate and Society from Columbia University.
Lauren was awarded Columbia University’s Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement in 2023, which recognizes profound impact on academia and the world at large. She has been recognized as 40 under 40 Public Utilities Fortnightly 2021, 2019 LA Power Woman by Bisnow, and 2018 Climate Leader to Watch by E&E News.
