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Grand Rapids Mayor Heartwell Outlines Needs for Local Leadership on Climate and Energy

Mayor George Heartwell of Grand Rapids, MI, is a nationally recognized leader on sustainability and climate action. Today at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, Mayor Heartwell spoke before an audience of federal decision makers and sustainability leaders about his City's actions and leadership in the face of climate and energy challenges.

The National Leadership Speaker Series on Resiliency and Security in the 21st Century, organized by ICLEI and the U.S. Green Building Council, brought three nationally known leaders on sustainability and resilience: Mayor Heartwell, Mayor Ralph Becker of Salt Lake City, UT, and Vice Mayor Kristin Jacobs of Broward County, FL.

Mayor Heartwell spoke in great detail about the climate and energy challenges faced by all local governments, and outlined the key steps being taken in Grand Rapids to become more prepared for climate impacts and more energy independent and efficient. Below are his key points and messages.

Broward County Vice Mayor Jacobs Speaks to Climate Challenges Facing South Florida

Today at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, Vice Mayor Kristin Jacobs of Broward County, FL, spoke before an audience of federal decision makers and sustainability leaders about her actions and leadership in the face of serious climate and energy challenges.

The National Leadership Speaker Series on Resiliency and Security in the 21st Century, organized by ICLEI and the U.S. Green Building Council, brought three nationally recognized leaders on sustainability and resilience: Vice Mayor Jacobs, Mayor George Heartwell of Grand Rapids, MI, and Mayor Ralph Becker of Salt Lake City, UT.

South Florida is one of the nation's most vulnerable regions to climate change, and Vice Mayor Jacobs explained the specific impacts they are facing and are anticipated to face in the coming decades. Fortunately, thanks to her leadership, the South Florida region is taking key steps to increase community resilience and preparedness.

Below are the key facts and messages that Vice Mayor Jacobs delivered in her speech.

"Climate change poses significant challenges to the way in which we have historically viewed the resilience of our communities," said Vice Mayor Jacobs. "This is true even in South Florida, where we are vulnerable, and even accustomed, to extreme weather and severe storms. Our flat topography, low land elevation, and highly developed urban coastline all contribute to these risks and today, climate change promises to aggravate our local circumstance with more extreme climate conditions coupled with sea level rise."

ICLEI and USGBC Bring Together Leading Mayors to Share Solutions for Resilient Communities

Left to right: Mayor Ralph Becker, Vice Mayor Kristin Jacobs, and Mayor George Heartwell speak about their community's climate and energy challenges -- and their steps to become more resilient.

At the National Press Club today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA (ICLEI USA) hosted the latest National Leadership Speaker Series on Resiliency and Security in the 21st Century, bringing together elected officials in a forum addressing local leadership on resiliency in the built environment.

Three nationally recognized sustainability leaders—the Hon. Ralph Becker, Mayor of Salt Lake City; the Hon. George K. Heartwell, Mayor of Grand Rapids, Mich.; and the Hon. Kristin Jacobs, Vice Mayor of Broward County, Fla.—highlighted the efforts of local governments to ensure the resilience and security of their communities in response to growing energy and climate change challenges. The mayors were joined by Jason Hartke, Ph.D., Vice President of national policy at USGBC, and Michael Schmitz, Executive Director of ICLEI USA.

Salt Lake City Mayor Becker Leads on Action to Prepare for Climate Impacts

Today at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker spoke before an audience of federal decision makers and sustainability leaders about his City's actions and leadership in the face of climate and energy challenges.

The National Leadership Speaker Series on Resiliency and Security in the 21st Century, organized by ICLEI and the U.S. Green Building Council, brought three nationally recognized leaders on sustainability and resilience: Mayor Becker, Mayor George Heartwell of Grand Rapids, MI, and Vice Mayor Kristin Jacobs of Broward County, FL.

Salt Lake City is already facing serious impacts due to climate change (see below), but under Mayor Becker's leadership, the City is responding with innovative preparedness measures. Below is an outline of the key facts and actions that Mayor Becker addressed in his speech.

“We need to look at climate change from a broader perspective. I am proud of the important progress we have made to reduce Salt Lake City’s carbon footprint as well as our efforts to adapt to the real and pressing effects of climate change,” said Mayor Becker. “The resilience of our built environment must be considered in all development moving forward. People want a community that’s sustainable and livable.”