Insights & Exchange: Safeguarding Public Health
Local governments play a crucial role in addressing the intersection of climate change and public health within their communities. As frontline responders, they implement policies and initiatives to mitigate climate-related health risks and build local resilience to various hazards and challenges. Taking meaningful action at the climate-health nexus creates many “sticky” challenges for local governments. […]
Insights & Exchange: Cost Analysis and Implementation Planning for Climate Action Factsheet
A key marker of successful climate action planning is considering the cost and steps required for implementation. With often limited funds and capacity, it is critical to consider what actions can be funded and fulfilled while still making a noticeable impact. The City of Ann Arbor, MI, and the Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization discussed […]
Fort Collins, CO: Achieving Sustainability Goals with EPEAT and ClearPath Tools
EPEAT and ICLEI ClearPath are utilized by the City of Fort Collins, CO, to achieve sustainability goals set forth in a Municipal Sustainability Action Plan. EPEAT-Registered IT product purchases have resulted in quantifiable environmental benefits, significant cost-savings and public recognition, while ICLEI ClearPath enables Fort Collins to develop greenhouse gas inventories, forecast scenarios, visualize climate […]
Santa Cruz , CA: California Green-Business Program
When it comes to smart growth, the City of Santa Cruz means business – green business. Through the California Green Business Program the City joined a rich network of environmentally friendly small and medium-sized businesses driving the green economy. What started in 1995 in Sonoma as a certification program has since reached small to medium […]
Kirkwood, MO: Data-Driven Approach to Sustainability
The City of Kirkwood, Missouri found that through creating a greenhouse gas inventory in ClearPath, they have been able to achieve further sustainability goals and become a leader on sustainability in Missouri. Their data-driven approach gave them the ability to begin a number of projects, all with bipartisan support. These projects include traffic signal modernization, […]
New York City Moves to Divest Pension Funds from Billions of Dollars in Fossil Fuel Reserves
View web version ICLEI USA and the New York City Mayor’s Office released a this case study at Global Climate Action Summit 2018, detailing why and how NYC has begun to divest billions of pension fund dollars from fossil fuels. This case study is the first in-depth look at this decision since Mayor Bill de […]
Ventura County, CA: Identifying Big Impact Opportunities for the Built Environment Using Energy Audits
Local government agencies can use energy audits to meet energy and climate action planning goals by identifying potential projects that will yield the best returns. Energy audits provide an assessment of the overall energy dynamic of a building, evaluating energy efficiency, health, and safety through comprehensive diagnostic methods to identify, analyze, and prioritize energy saving […]
Tracking Metro Washington’s Climate Impact: Trends in the region’s communitywide greenhouse gas emissions
In 2008, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and local governments across the region collaboratively established the regional GHG emission reduction goals of: 10% below business as usual projections by 2012 (back down to 2005 levels); 20% below 2005 levels by 2020; and 80% below 2005 levels by 2050. COG and its member jurisdictions […]
Tracking DVRPC’s Climate Impact: Trends in communitywide greenhouse gas emissions
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVPRC) conducts a comprehensive inventory of its communitywide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions every five years. This emissions inventory provides valuable insights into the largest sources of emissions, helps DVPRC understand where to focus its efforts on reducing emissions. The inventory follows standard, accepted protocols to estimate emissions from all […]
Santa Monica, CA Contribution Analysis : Understanding GHG Inventory and Employee Commute Program Trends
City of Santa Monica, CA was a steering committee city in the Department of Energy funded research project on the contribution analysis – a new tool to help local governments understand their greenhouse gas inventory trends. The contribution analysis found that improved vehicle fuel economy, reduced commercial natural gas and electricity usage, and a cleaner […]