EPA Releases Guide to Resource Conservation and Recovery for Greenhouse Gas Reduction

EPA has released a new climate and energy strategy guide for local governments, titled Resource Conservation and Recovery: A Guide to Developing and Implementing Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programs (PDF, 42 pp, 6.3 megabytes). Resource conservation and recovery strategies involve avoiding, delaying, or decreasing the raw materials required for the production of new products through source reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, and energy recovery. These practices can reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the life-cycle of materials, while also reducing air pollution, energy use, and landfilling costs.

A Long-Overdue Conversation on Green Building and the Codes

(Photo credit: USGBC)

The 2011 Green Building Market Activity Report begins with this statement: “Green building is here to stay.”

It’s certainly been a busy year – or should I say three, or even five? Following the growth trends of a green building economy that has far outpaced an otherwise down economy, the building community has been hard at work to develop draft regulations – or model codes – that can help to translate green building ideas into tomorrow’s minimum expectations.

Climate Action Planning in San Francisco's City Departments

Photo credit: City of San Francisco

San Francisco was one of the first U.S. cities to ask individual city departments to produce climate action plans. In 2008, the Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance requiring each department to produce and update a Climate Action plan annually. These plans are called Departmental Climate Action Plans (DepCAPs). To view overall municipal carbon footprint by fuel source and by department, click here.

Political Leadership Is Key to Managing Disaster Risk

The new "Making Cities Resilient Report 2012"  identifies political leadership as more important than a city’s wealth when it comes to protecting the lives and economic assets of cities and towns from disasters.

The study takes stock of the lessons learned from the "Making Cities Resilient" campaign, where ICLEI is a staunch partner. It provides a global snapshot of how local governments reduce disaster risk and was undertaken by a team from the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development led by Senior Fellow, Dr. David Satterthwaite.

Case Study: City-Led Solarization in Beaverton, OR

Solarization programs are all the rage, and the City of Beaverton, OR’s Solar Beaverton program was a resounding success. This innovative program helped residents add 258 solar installations, created 15 local jobs, increased the City’s solar permitting by 2,500% (and generated $76,000 in permitting fees), and changed the way the City of Beaverton wrote RFPs. Solar Beaverton helped Mayor Denny Doyle win a U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Award in 2012.

In ICLEI’s latest case study, learn how Solar Beaverton accomplished so and how the City structured the program to maximize the local economic benefits. Beaverton staff share their lessons learned, such as how choose a vendor, how to get more from your RFP respondents, how to involve elected officials in the program promotion, and how to get buy-in from the permitting department.

View the Case Study

Installing Solar Panels on Historic Buildings

Photo credit: North Carolina Solar Center website

Cultural resources such as historic buildings and districts occupy an important place in our nation’s built environment; however these same resources are often considered impediments to achieving a community’s energy efficiency and renewable energy goals. While this assumption is at times unfounded, the fact remains that certain regulatory practices may limit the use of renewable energy technologies on historic resources.

Solar Accounting: Measuring the Costs and Benefits of Going Solar

The Solar Foundation is pleased to announce the release a new informational primer created as part of efforts from the ICLEI- and ICMA-lead Solar Outreach Partnership, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative. As a member of this partnership, The Solar Foundation helps provide information and technical expertise to local governments interested in implementing solar programs and policies.

The Solar Foundation's Solar Accounting: Measuring the Costs and Benefits of Going Solar is a new primer to help local governments understand and measure the costs of installing a solar energy system on a municipal or county property. The primer also breaks down the cost associated with direct ownership and ownership by a third party as well as the financial benefits of going solar.

Accounting is the linchpin in getting solar up on municipally owned buildings. It’s gotta make financial sense and this document explains how.

Georgetown Climate Center Releases New Tool Kit to Help Local Governments Adapt to Record Heat

On the heels of the hottest month in U.S. history, the Georgetown Climate Center has released a new tool to help cities and counties better prepare for the public health and infrastructure challenges caused by rising temperatures.

As of August 5, 2012, there have already been 27,042 heat records set or matched this year – a warming trend climate scientists expect will continue.

“We’re trying to help communities adopt common sense solutions,” said Sara Hoverter, author of Adapting to Urban Heat: A Tool Kit for Local Governments. “There are simple steps local governments can pursue to adjust to these record heat increases, but we need more communities to start taking action now to protect residents and more wisely invest the millions of tax dollars being spent on infrastructure and development projects in our communities.”

Lessons on Outreach From Richmond’s Sustainability Plan

Sustainability professionals understand that the key to developing a sustainability plan is getting strong buy-in and participation—both within a local government and among the greater community. But it’s easier said than done. Richmond, VA’s new RVAgreen plan, which was approved by City Council in July 2012, rests on a strong foundation of internal and external support, cultivated over many months under the leadership of Mayor Dwight C. Jones.

I spoke with Alicia Zatcoff, City of Richmond’s Sustainability Manager, who shared her strategies and lessons learned with engaging community members and municipal colleagues in the development of RVAgreen.

Right: Alicia Zatcoff, City of Richmond Sustainability Manager

Summer's Extreme Weather Damaging Infrastructure Nationwide

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Watch this eye-opening video from NBC News on the impact that extreme heat and flooding are having across the country on our nation's aging infrastructure. The take-home message is one that ICLEI has been repeating for years: Climate change is happening now and our communities need to prepare for it. Learn more about what local governments can do.