ICLEI USA and Climate Communities Launch Exciting New Partnership

Strengthening the Voice and Leadership of Local Governments at the Federal Level

ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA and Climate Communities are pleased to announce a new partnership that will strengthen the voice and leadership role of local governments in the national effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.  

Climate Communities is a Washington, DC based association of local governments that is advocating for a strong federal local climate partnership and significant, new federal resources to help fund local actions to reduce greenhouse gases.  Members of Climate Communities will work closely with the new Administration and Congress to shape federal climate policies and ensure that they recognize and support the critical role of local governments.


As part of our new partnership, ICLEI and Climate Communities will work together to:

• Develop a climate protection policy blueprint for the new Administration and Congress to make sure they understand what federal policies and resources are needed to stimulate significant emissions reductions at the local level;
• Hold regular conference calls, webinars, and provide regular updates for local officials about federal climate policies and to make sure you have timely information so that you can impact what is happening in Washington.
• Organize a Local Government Climate Protection Summit in Washington DC in the Spring of 2009 to build our partnership with the new Administration and Congress and educate them about what federal policies will work best to promote local climate protection activities.
• Build the membership of both Climate Communities and ICLEI so we have the resources and national political clout to ensure that the voice of local governments on climate change is effectively heard in Washington..

As many of you heard at the recent ICLEI Local Action Summit in Albuquerque, Climate Communities is already making a big difference in paving the way for new climate resources for local governments.  During the recent Climate Communities Summit in Washington, Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) and John Warner (R-VA), the sponsors of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, pledged to include federal support for climate actions at the city and county level.  Many Members of Congress also promised to join with Climate Communities in fighting for FY 2009 funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.  Climate Communities has also been successful in working with Congress to include $15 million for a new local demonstration pilot program in House appropriations legislation.

The gravity of climate change requires an ongoing, collective and collaborative effort involving local government leaders from across the nation.  ICLEI and Climate Communities are pleased to join together to ensure that the voices and vision of local governments are heard and heeded in federal policy discussions.  We encourage you to become a Climate Communities member and support our new partnership.

Partnership Background
As you know, ICLEI has been working with cities and counties for more than a decade to help measure the carbon footprint of communities and implement local climate action plans that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  ICLEI is also helping communities consider how to prepare for the predicted impacts associated with climate change, including drought, water shortages, wildfires, flooding, rising sea levels, and infrastructure disruption.

City and county leaders understand that there are major greenhouse gas reductions to be achieved at the local level, through green buildings, clean transportation, renewable energy and sustainable community development.  However, localities need national leadership and a strong partnership with the federal government if we are to achieve the significant emissions reductions needed to protect the environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Now for the first time, the prospects for a national climate policy are bright with both major Presidential candidates supporting federal climate action and Congress beginning to debate climate cap and trade legislation.  Local governments will need a strong voice in Washington to make sure we are at the table as the new Administration and Congress develop national climate policies and decide how to allocate resources created through the estimated $150 billion a year carbon trading market that will be established.

That is why ICLEI and Climate Communities have formed our new partnership.  A group of city and county leaders created the Climate Communities coalition last December to educate federal policymakers about the essential role of local governments in addressing climate change and advocate for significant new federal resources to support local actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

We believe that combining the strengths of our two organizations will give local governments the best chance to ensure that new federal climate policies support local efforts.  As the preeminent organization helping localities develop and implement climate action plans, ICLEI and its members are uniquely suited to inform federal decision makers about how best to design federal policies so they actually work at the local level.  Climate Communities, which is managed by The Ferguson Group, a Washington DC firm specializing in representing local governments, has a team of climate lobbyists who can make sure local government proposals are well-received by federal policy makers.