http://www.icleiusa.org/blog basesyndication http://www.icleiusa.org/logo.png http://www.icleiusa.org/blog http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/05/08/energy-efficiency-for-commercial-buildings-in-focus http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/05/08/energy-efficiency-for-commercial-buildings-in-focus The Existing Commercial Buildings Working Group of the State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network (SEE Action) has developed best practice recommendations to improve energy efficiency in public and private commercial buildings through whole-building approaches. These best practices can save energy, save money, and create jobs. For example, retro-commissioning offers 10% to 30% energy savings, dollar savings of 2 to 10 times the cost, and can add up to millions of dollars saved across a building portfolio. Retro-commissioning programs create an estimated 5 to 15 green jobs per $1 million invested . SEE Action fact sheets are available on: Energy benchmarking to measure the energy performance of buildings, improve information transparency in the market, and identify good candidates for energy audits and upgrades. Strategic energy management to reduce upgrade costs across a portfolio of facilities and institutionalize practices to sustain long-term savings. Retro-commissioning to “tune up” a building’s equipment to increase efficiency without a major capital investment. High performance leasing to overcome the “split incentive” problem faced by tenants and property owners by incorporating energy efficiency benefit- and cost-sharing practices into lease terms.   About SEE Action SEE Action is a state- and local-led effort to achieve all cost-effective energy efficiency by 2020. Facilitated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), SEE Action offers knowledge, resources, and technical assistance to state and local decision makers as they advance energy efficiency policies and programs in their jurisdictions. SEE Action energy efficiency Tue, 08 May 2012 18:14:46 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/05/08/fact-sheets-solar-leasing-and-solar-as-a-revenue-generator-for-local-governments http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/05/08/fact-sheets-solar-leasing-and-solar-as-a-revenue-generator-for-local-governments ICLEI’s partner, The Solar Foundation, has released two new fact sheets for local governments: Leasing Municipal and Private Property for Solar: Key Steps and Considerations (pdf) The resource provides readers with general guidance on how to unlock the revenue potential of idle property by leasing land and roof space for solar development. Solar as a Revenue Generator for Local Governments: (pdf) This resource demonstrates how cities and counties across the nation have leveraged solar for their fiscal benefit. The Solar Foundation created these as part of its efforts under the 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. Don Knapp clean power Tue, 08 May 2012 17:55:04 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/05/08/the-more-local-the-energy-the-more-valuable http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/05/08/the-more-local-the-energy-the-more-valuable John Farrell at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance posted this great chart on their website that is worth reposting for ICLEI members. John's take-home: Local ownership of a wind project accounts for half of its lifetime economic value to the community! Institute for Local Self-Reliance clean power Tue, 08 May 2012 17:40:00 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/05/08/sustainable-funding-for-local-energy-efficiency-initiatives http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/05/08/sustainable-funding-for-local-energy-efficiency-initiatives The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), has released a new research report titled, "Keeping It in the Community: Sustainable Funding for Local Energy Efficiency Initiatives." Here's a quick summary of the report: Initial investments have already been made by thousands of local governments in energy efficiency projects, programs, policies, and expanding staff capacity, but most federal funds that have supported these efforts are expiring. Some communities have considered or adopted sustainable funding mechanisms for their energy efficiency investments. These efforts provide important examples for other communities hoping to sustain funding for their efficiency efforts. This report describes several of these local funding options and provides examples where each has been adopted. Options discussed include utility partnerships; licensing, service, or waste fees; energy or carbon taxes; systems benefit funds; bonds; and options to capture the value created by avoided energy costs to create self-sustaining funds through revolving loan funds or other mechanisms. Additional items discussed include leadership and management practices that have made the establishment and continuation of these funding mechanisms viable, such as champions, issue framing, dedicated staff, performance benchmarking, and measurement and verification.  Download Now (free registration require) ACEEE energy efficiency Tue, 08 May 2012 17:29:27 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/05/04/sustainable-cities-making-headlines-this-week http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/05/04/sustainable-cities-making-headlines-this-week It's been a action-packed week for sustainable cities, who are making headlines with their innovative initiatives and success stories. Cincinnati Becomes First Major City to Offer 100% Green Electricity to Residents Houston Mayor Annise Parker Launches Public Bike Share Program NYC Takes the Red Tape Out of Building Green Manhattan Beach, CA, Wins Water Conservation Challenge Killer tornadoes: 2 Resilient Cities 1 Year Later in Joplin and Tuscaloosa Jim Johnston: Assessing sustainability in Springfield, IL NYC Rides Green Wave to Clean Up Stormwater Houston Mayor Parker Announces Green Office Challenge Winners Bellingham, WA, Recycles Toilets into Sidewalks Portland City Council Unanimously Adopts the Portland Plan Don Knapp sustainability Fri, 04 May 2012 17:26:27 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/27/talking-climate-change-and-cities-on-fire-it-up-with-cj-radio-show http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/27/talking-climate-change-and-cities-on-fire-it-up-with-cj-radio-show Listen as ICLEI's Monica Gilchrist chats with radio host CJ Liu of "Fire It Up With CJ" about the opportunities and success stories of local governments in addressing climate change, saving energy, and creating healthier, more prosperous communities in the process. Listen Now     In the second half of the show, Keya Chatterjee of the World Wildlife Fund talks about the Earth Hour City Challenge, and how cities can get involved in this challenge program to fight climate change and expand local renewable energy sources. Listen Now Don Knapp climate mitigation climate adaptation Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:30:00 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/26/houston-mayor-parker-announces-green-office-challenge-winners http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/26/houston-mayor-parker-announces-green-office-challenge-winners City of Houston Creates Largest Challenge in U.S. Mayor Annise Parker (right) congratulates members of Smith and Associates Green Team, which took home the Overall Winner honors for "Greatest Implementation of Green Building Innovations." Photo credit: Richard J. Carson   The City of Houston, in partnership with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, the Clinton Climate Initiative and over 25 Houston nonprofits, announced the winners of the City’s first annual Green Office Challenge on Wednesday, April 18, 2012. The Houston Green Office Challenge officially began January 1, 2011 becoming the nation’s largest. Since that time, the City of Houston has provided training opportunities and other resources, including financial incentives, to assist office building owners, property managers, management districts and tenants to increase their environmental and economic performance in the areas of energy conservation, waste reduction, water efficiency, cleaner transportation choices and property management/tenant engagement. “The Green Office Challenge has been a success because of community commitment,” said Mayor Annise Parker. “More than 375 buildings and tenants participated representing approximately 75 million square feet.” In just the last year, with 176 buildings achieving LEED status, Houston rose from number seven to number four in the nation with the most LEED certified buildings and is quickly closing in on a top three spot.  City of Houston saving money energy efficiency Waste reduction success stories Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:30:13 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/25/the-top-three-reasons-rio-20-will-change-the-world http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/25/the-top-three-reasons-rio-20-will-change-the-world Vote for Maggie to be the official blogger for World Environment Day in Rio! Click “Vote Now” on the UNEP website below her picture or at the end of the blog and enter the security code. Please share with friends and colleagues! Voting ends April 30.   Though two months away, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development’s Earth Summit, better known as Rio+20, has already been labeled vital, momentous and historic. And while delegates, students and activists have yet to arrive in Brazil, we already know that Rio+20 has the potential to be a “big deal.” It all begs the question, can the people engaging in Rio+20, in-person or remotely, really change the world?  My sage and inspiration for answering this question is Margaret Mead who said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Simply, Rio+20 is about being part of that thoughtful group committed to "getting it right" for future generations.  The outcome and commitments of the Conference will affect us all, from the farmer in Iowa to the IT specialist in India, and whether you attend the conference or not, your voice can and needs to be heard. Maggie Comstock, USGBC sustainability climate policy Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:35:00 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/12/submit-feedback-on-the-draft-california-climate-change-adaptation-policy-guide http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/12/submit-feedback-on-the-draft-california-climate-change-adaptation-policy-guide The California Natural Resources Agency, in partnership with the California Emergency Management Agency and with support from California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), are developing an Adaptation Policy Guide (APG) to provide a decision‐making framework intended for use by local and regional stakeholders to aid in the interpretation of climate science and to develop a systematic rationale for reducing risks caused, or exacerbated, by climate change. The APG is not intended to provide a prescriptive set of strategies. Instead, it will provide a framework to guide decision makers through the critical considerations necessary for adaptation policy development.   Public Review Draft Public comments on the Draft APG are being sought, and the document is now available for public review. To view the Draft APG, please choose the link below: Draft California Climate Adaptation Policy Guide >> (pdf)   Public comments will be collected beginning April 9th, concurrent with the Draft APG’s announcement at the Impacts and Adaptation Local Government Conference . This public review will close on Monday, May 18th. Please send in your comments, via e-mail, using this link . The Draft APG will then be revised and finalized for release by the end of June 2012. Please visit this web page soon for updates.   During this review phase, two public meetings will be held to provide the opportunity for direct input on the APG: one in southern and northern California. Please check the above website link ("Learn More") for meeting details. California Natural Resources Agency climate adaptation Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:20:00 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/10/wwf-launches-earth-hour-city-challenge-entry-form-opens-in-june http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/10/wwf-launches-earth-hour-city-challenge-entry-form-opens-in-june Tucson, AZ. (credit: zereshk via wikimedia commons) Cities around the world switched off their lights at 8:30 pm Saturday March 31 in observance of Earth Hour, an annual call for action on climate change. A record 6,525 cities and towns in 150 countries and territories participated in this year's event, a total larger than any year since Earth Hour began in 2007. Among the businesses and monuments participating were Caesars Palace Las Vegas, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Empire State Building in New York City. Learn More or Get Involved >> Tucson Leads the Way In Tucson, Arizona, the World Wildlife Fund used Earth Hour as a platform to launch a new competition— Earth Hour City Challenge —among U.S. cities to develop and implement climate change plans that include renewable energy expansion and adaptation measures. The launch event in Tucson brought together 120 citizens to talk about local climate preparedness measures. Citizens voted on their preferred preparedness measures, such as boosting energy efficiency to offset an anticipated spike in electricity use with increased air conditioning demand. Participants also brought up the need to capture water after flash floods and to get rid of invasive species that fuel wildfires.   Lynn Englum, Climate Change Program, WWF climate adaptation Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:45:00 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/06/integrating-public-health-into-climate-action-planning http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/06/integrating-public-health-into-climate-action-planning The Calfornia Dept. of Public Health has released a new publication, Climate Action for Health: Integrating Public Health into Climate Action Planning , for local government and health planners. The Guide provides an overview of climate change as an important health issue and presents ideas for integrating key public health issues into greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reductions strategies as they are addressed in the Climate Action Plan: Transportation, Land Use, Urban Greening, Food and Agriculture, Residential Energy Use, and Community Engagement and Vulnerable Populations. Many strategies for reducing GHG emissions can also improve the health of a community.  This educational resource was developed with the input of state and local climate planners and public health practitioners and provides examples of health-related language from communities around the state, and contains resources and references that will be helpful in local planning and implementation work. View the Guide (pdf) For more information, contact Kathy Dervin, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Kathy.Dervin@cdph.ca.gov or (510) 620-6245. Calfornia Department of Public Health climate mitigation climate adaptation Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:55:00 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/05/climate-adaptation-case-studies-from-the-san-francisco-bay-area http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/05/climate-adaptation-case-studies-from-the-san-francisco-bay-area Three new case studies highlight the climate adaptation progress of three communities in the San Francisco Bay Area: Berkeley, Pinole, and the watershed managed by the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority. The case study series, "Climate Adaptation in Action" was produced by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (SFBCDC).   Don Knapp climate adaptation Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:28:31 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/04/lbnls-new-clean-energy-program-policy-briefs http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/04/04/lbnls-new-clean-energy-program-policy-briefs Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory released three new clean energy financing policy briefs today on Clean Energy Works Oregon, the Indianapolis Ecohouse Project Loan program and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's Assisted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory energy efficiency clean power Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:50:39 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/03/27/arlington-county-businesses-save-2-million-with-green-games http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/03/27/arlington-county-businesses-save-2-million-with-green-games On Thursday, March 22, 2012, Arlington celebrated the accomplishments of its Inaugural Green Games competition for the commercial office sector.  More than 100 buildings and offices, representing roughly 15 million square feet – or one third – of Arlington’s office space competed for one year in a race to reduce waste, energy and water use, and set other environmental goals. By deploying energy-efficient, no- to low-cost, and sustainable practices, Green Games participants realized a collective savings of $2M and prevented the release of 10,000 tons of CO2, or the equivalent of taking 1,996 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. Companies that showed the greatest achievements across areas such as energy and water use, waste diversion and transportation choices over the year were honored by Arlington County during the ceremony. Arlington County saving money success stories energy efficiency Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:55:00 -0400 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/03/27/join-the-earth-hour-city-challenge-on-march-31 http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/archive/2012/03/27/join-the-earth-hour-city-challenge-on-march-31 On March 31, 2012, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) will launch the first annual international Earth Hour City Challenge. This year-long competition will engage, empower and reward participating cities that promote renewable energy and prepare for the emerging impacts of climate change. Participating U.S. cities receive resources and gain recognition for their efforts to curb carbon pollution and prepare their communities for the harmful consequences of climate change. ICLEI USA is proud to contribute to the City Challenge by delivering educational trainings and tools to participating local governments, beginning in summer 2012. Take the Challenge   Don Knapp climate adaptation Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:30:00 -0400