No matter how determined a government is be more environmentally friendly, such efforts are doomed to failure without the backing of the business community, the mayor of one of America's previously most polluted cities says.
At an American Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke of his efforts to clean up the City of Angels and the initial opposition from some quarters.
'The private sector will be key to any effort to going green,' he said after the lunch. 'It cannot just be the government. You cannot do it without the ingenuity and innovation and technological acumen you get from the business community.'
While he was willing to outline his hopes and plans for closer trade links between the cities - Los Angeles signed an economic co-operation agreement with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council yesterday - he would not hand out cleanup advice.
When asked about pollution from China making its way to the US, Mr Villaraigosa pointed out the US consumed more energy than any other country and so he could not assign blame.
California aims to have 20 per cent renewable energy by 2017, and Mr Villaraigosa said LA would reach that target by 2010 with geothermal power and wind technology.
