Creating, Leading and Managing Change

June 6-8, 2012 Denver, CO

Overview of the Opportunity

The Urban Sustainability Leadership Academy (USLA) is a peer-learning and training program specifically designed to help sustainability directors and managers in local governments throughout North America strengthen their efforts to catalyze, lead and manage sustainability offices, programs and initiatives. This USLA workshop will bring together 30-40 senior local government sustainability directors and managers for an intensive peer-learning and training experience focused on high-priority challenges such as building relationships and trust; integrating across disciplines and collaborating across sectors; making the case to internal and external stakeholders; and financing and sustaining sustainability.

The Resource Team for this USLA workshop, the third in the series, will include the CSR Director of REI, experienced sustainability directors from at least two cities (Salt Lake City and Flagstaff) as well as a collaboration expert from the Consensus Building Institute.

For a summary of the first two USLA workshops, held in Washington, D.C. in July, 2011 and Chicago in November, 2011 – and to download Version 2.0 of "Creating, Leading & Managing Change: A Resource Guide for Local Sustainability Leaders – please visit: http://www.iscvt.org/where_we_work/usa/article/usla.php.

ISC has developed the USLA in close partnership with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), a national network of about 100 local government sustainability directors. The scope and design of the program are based on guidance from the USDN's Professional Development Working Group, as well as consultations with dozens of leading urban sustainability experts and practitioners, and ISC's own considerable experience in the field. Siemens USA is our founding partner, with additional funding support from the Kresge and Surdna foundations.

When and where – and who pays?!

The workshop will take place on June 6-8 at a hotel in downtown Denver, CO.

There is no registration fee, and travel (flights up to $500) and lodging (two nights at the hotel in which the workshop will occur) will be covered by ISC. In addition, breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided to participants throughout the course of the program. Participants will be asked to cover all other costs (for example, ground transportation to and from the airport). In addition, dinners will be on-your-own, to allow time for informal networking and exploration of Denver, CO.

Who Should Attend?

This workshop is intended for sustainability directors or chief sustainability officers – in other words, senior practitioners with lead responsibility for developing and implementing sustainability plans and programs within local governments (towns, cities, counties, etc.).

Why participate?

"Sustainability director" is one of the fastest-growing job categories within municipalities across North America; it also is one of the most complex. Sustainability directors are tasked with leading change for sustainability both within their local governments and across the community at-large, usually with relatively little formal authority or funding. The complexity of this work requires a unique set of highly developed leadership skills, including the ability to bring together large networks of critical stakeholders.

Focusing on these skills can help avoid common pitfalls experienced by most established programs. The USLA will be specifically geared towards helping participants develop and refine their approach by providing:

• "Quality time" with dozens of your counterparts across the U.S. and Canada, and with a handful of leading practitioners and experts on how to create, lead, and manage change related to urban sustainable development; and
• Efficient access to high-quality information on the most promising practices in the field and the most potentially useful tools, frameworks, and resources available.

Highlights of this workshop likely will include:

• A diverse mix of sustainability practitioners from up to 30 communities throughout the U.S. and Canada;
• Plenty of time for peer-to-peer sharing, strategizing, and networking;
• A faculty consisting of 4-6 leading experts and practitioners;
• One or two inspiring keynote presentations;
• A blend of interactive panel discussions and small-group working sessions focused on key challenge areas identified in advance by the participants; and
• A resource guide synthesizing much of the best available information (e.g., studies, tools, frameworks) on “leadership for sustainability,” and featuring about a dozen case studies on “promising practices” in sustainability leadership and management.

About ISC

ISC has more than 20 years of experience designing and delivering training and technical assistance programs that emphasize peer-to-peer learning, efficient access to high-quality information and expertise, and acceleration of promising practices in community-scale sustainable development. The ISC team includes several former sustainability practitioners from local and state governments and institutions of higher education. For more information, please visit www.iscvt.org.

Join ICLEI and partners to learn about the pros and cons of various local and state strategies to improve the efficiency of permitting processes, then discuss and share your own ideas

Date: Wednesday, June 6, 2 - 3 p.m. Eastern
Fee: FREE

What We'll Cover

There is general consensus that to bring the price of rooftop solar installations down significantly in the near future there need to be improvements made to increase the efficiency of the permitting process for these systems.  With thousands of different cities and counties having control over permitting, there is a strong need to share ideas on how to move improvements forward while also balancing the desire to retain local control over the decision-making process.  

series, will discuss approaches being used across the country to help catalyze action at a local, regional and state level to improve the efficiency of the rooftop permitting process and will highlight specific improvements being put into place.  It will outline the pros and cons of these approaches and discuss how application of different strategies may vary depending upon the governance structure in place.  The discussion will center on examples highlighted in the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's report "Sharing Success: Emerging Approaches to Efficient Rooftop Solar Permitting" which will be released in May.

Speakers

About the Webinar Series:
Reducing Barriers to Solar for Local Governments

Join ICLEI and partners for a monthly webinar series with the goal of helping local governments overcome barriers to deploying solar energy and making local investment in solar more attractive. Each month we’ll cover timely topics and assemble leading experts who provide tips, resources, and case studies on the actions that local governments, utilities, industry professionals and policymakers are taking to increase their solar portfolios. You’ll come away with valuable insights to help you and other stakeholders in your community.

Questions? Please contact Farleigh Wolfe at farleigh.wolfe@iclei.org

In May and June, EPA's Local Government Climate and Energy Program will host a three-part webcast series about funding and financing clean energy programs.

***May 16, 2012, 2:00-3:30 PM (EDT) Part I: Getting Started: Answering Big Picture Funding Questions

Many local governments are investing in clean energy programs to meet their energy, environmental, and economic policy goals. In this post-ARRA world, they're also asking how they should fund these clean energy programs. This introductory webinar will cover the big picture questions that local governments should consider. What resources are available? What are the program priorities? How can these programs pay for themselves? What funding is available? This webinar will guide local governments through these and other questions in the context of their own unique circumstances and illustrate the concepts through case studies that explore how local governments have used both conventional and unconventional methods to gain support, line up partners, and design and implement their funding programs.

To register, visit http://epa.gov/statelocalclimate/web-podcasts/local-webcasts.html

***May 30, 2012, 2:00-3:30 PM (EDT) Part II: Getting it Funded: Finding Funding for your Clean Energy Programs

Part II of this webinar series explores the holy grail of local government program design: finding sources of funding. This fast-paced presentation will cover seed funding versus sustainable funding, funding that can be used up versus what must be repaid, sources of revenue, and more. Local government case studies will demonstrate how to identify and understand the sources of funding, including grants, energy savings, partnering with the private sector, fees and taxes, leasing agreements, and bonds.

To register, visit the http://epa.gov/statelocalclimate/web-podcasts/local-webcasts.html

***June 13, 2012, 2:00-3:30 PM (EDT) Part III: Keeping it Going: Financing Options for your Clean Energy Programs

It's one thing to secure initial funding to launch a clean energy program; it's another to implement smart financing mechanisms that can help leverage existing funds and make clean energy investments more affordable for clean energy program audiences (residential, commercial, and municipal sectors). In Part III of this webinar series, learn how to choose and implement financing options that meet local needs. Hear from local governments about successful programs using a variety of financing models. Also learn about new resources from EPA that can help identify and design financing programs that are specific to a community's needs: the Financing Program Decision Tool (http://go.usa.gov/VRl), and Clean Energy Financing Programs: A Decision Resource for States and Communities (http://go.usa.gov/VRi).

The ICLEI World Congress 2012 will be a landmark gathering of local sustainability leaders, mayors, and representatives from international agencies, national governments, academia and the business sector.

June 14-17, 2012
Belo Horizonte, Brazil

• Engage, share and learn about cutting-edge integrated solutions to the interconnected urban challenges we face.
  
  
• Network with, get advice from and be inspired by global strategists, NGOs, international organizations and funders, sharing their insights on the opportunities and challenges for local governments in the coming decades.
  
  
• Experience the UN Rio+20 Conference by hearing VIP speakers from Rio as they visit and present at the ICLEI World Congress in Belo Horizonte.
  
  
• Discuss local variants of the key themes of Rio+20: Green Urban Economy and Local Governance and Leadership for Sustainable Development.
  
  
• Showcase your work in making sustainability happen at the local level: be it on climate change mitigation and adaptation, fostering a green urban economy, or promoting sustainable transport.

Program Sessions

The program will include sessions on:

• The Green Economy: Using Sustainability as an Economic Development Strategy in Your Community
• Changing Habits – Changing Cities
• How Green Events Can Create Green Cities: Lessons from the World Cup 2014 and the Olympic Games 2016
• Mobile Workshops in and around Belo Horizonte

Following: Rio+20

This event, the first ICLEI World Congress in Latin America, will immediately precede the United Nations Convention on Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20) in neighboring Rio de Janeiro.



More Exciting Opportunities

Opportunities to Get Engaged with Rio+20 
Only a few days after the ICLEI World Congress, the Rio+20 Conference will be staged in neighboring Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 4–6, 2012. Rio+20 will focus on two major themes: “Green Economy” and “Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development.” ICLEI, in its capacity as the official “organizing partner” for local authorities, is strongly engaged in the preparatory process.

Senior local government officials, Mayors and Vice Mayors are encouraged to attend the Rio+20 Conference as part of the local government delegation. We recommend indicating interest and booking your travel early, as attendance will be high and accommodation is limited.

For more information on how to get involved in the Rio+20 process contact ICLEI’s World Secretariat at secretary.general@iclei.org.

For more information contact ICLEI’s Membership Team at membership@iclei.org.

Join an ongoing collaboration of cities working together to share ideas, needs and strategies to realistically adapt to the current and future impacts of climate change as they similarly affect the five Mediterranean-climate regions of the world.

June 25 - 27
Los Angeles, CA

Overview

The Mediterranean City: A Conference on Climate Change Adaptation will initiate an ongoing collaboration of cities working together to share ideas, needs and strategies to realistically adapt to the current and future impacts of climate change as they similarly affect the five Mediterranean-climate regions of the world.  The conference will bring together an international network of experts from the academic, policy, business, public health and government worlds, and will stand as an example for how cities can work together across regional and national boundaries to bring more resources and knowledge to building solutions.

Location and Hotel Accomodations

The Mediterranean City Conference will take place at the Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel. Conference attendees will qualify for discounted accommodations at a special $149 Single/Double rate. This discounted rate is available from June 24 – 28.

Please make your reservations by visiting the event booking website. You may also call the Sheraton Los Angeles Central Reservations line at 1-800-325-3535 and ask for the "Mediterranean City Conference Room Block."

Discount expires May 29, 2012.

Program Details

A Focus on Cities
More than fifty percent of the world's population now lives in an urban setting. Throughout the five Mediterranean-climate zones of the world, these urban centers have become driving forces behind scientific research, technological innovation and policy change. Economic forecasts further show that urban centers in Mediterranean-climate regions are becoming key players in the global economy and technology development. 

With their unique geographies of landscape, economy, population and ecology, these same five regions are thought to be among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts. They are some of the most highly altered on the planet, with the least amount of undisturbed land area of any biome.  Future climate change could challenge any efforts for sustainable development. In particular, climate change may exacerbate problems of water scarcity, food, energy and open space, both for recreation and wildlife. At the same time, the increasing populations and developing economies require adequate protection against the hazards of floods, droughts and sea level rise – hazards that are expected to become increasingly variable and severe because of the higher stakes and changing climate.

An Integrated Approach

Although countries across the Mediterranean regions may have differing developmental priorities, the urban centers face similar challenges of growing populations and economic needs that are balanced with healthy livable spaces, limited water and other natural resources, and threats to human health and food security. The Mediterranean City Consortium will therefore collaborate to develop integrated climate change adaptation strategies and seek to share resources, technology and information for regionally relevant responses.

Integrated thinking involves consideration of regions and fields outside of one’s individual expertise while still holding traits and objectives common to the area of focus. Integrated thinking also applies to the concept of an integrated city – one that is developed as a whole as a livable, connected, sustainable space. Integrated adaptation in an uncertain future climate will require adaptive management of socio-ecological systems10; making the policy and practice of conservation and resource management vital components of a city’s ability to be resilient.

The Mediterranean City: A Conference on Climate Change Adaptation will address the integrated issues common to Mediterranean cities with workgroups gathered around the following six interrelated topics, which will then reconvene across disciplines and around the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social, and ecological health. The result is a systems approach to solutions that recognizes overlaps and gaps across disparate fields.


Water: Resilient Water Management Strategies for a Changing Climate
Water is among the most basic of human needs and is necessary for economic vitality and food security. In the Mediterranean City, water is harnessed for consumption, industry, and waste management, while flood control systems seek to move water away from cities as efficiently as possible. Degradation of water quality occurs from urban practice and single purpose policy. As water scarcity increases with climate change, and as demand continues to outpace sustainable supplies, human and natural communities of the City and of the water-supply-shed are threatened at the most basic levels.

Energy: Transitioning to an Energy Efficient and Low Carbon Future
With a natural supply of abundant solar energy and the potential for tidal and off-shore wind and wave-to-energy power, the Mediterranean climate zones have great potential to harness renewable energy supplies. However, as urban populations in Mediterranean Cities continue to grow, renewable resource demand may outstrip renewable resource availability. Needs and costs of production must be better understood and affordable to move forward in producing green energy.

Biodiversity and Open Space: Building an Ecological City
Mediterranean ecosystems have nutrient−poor soils and are seasonally climate−limited, yet have evolved species−rich ecosystems with a great deal of endemism.  Healthy ecosystems provide nature’s services to urban centers, cleaning air and water; providing spaces of beauty to refresh the soul and encourage recreation; producing food, fiber, and fuel; and mitigating natural disasters (e.g., drought and flood) while cleaning of polluted urban runoff.

The Built Environment: Designing Healthier Communities
In the face of rapid development and population growth, cities are under increasing threat of loss of functionality and ability to meet the needs to their residents. By redefining the built environment to require or incentivize green building design, ecologically-functional streets, transit-oriented communities, and open spaces, cities can become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. By becoming more compact, for example, cities can promote the preservation of regionally-unique habitats while also combating urban sprawl. Smart building and landscape designs can also effectively reduce the energy footprint of buildings while contributing to the overall energy portfolio of cities.

Public Health: Preparing People for Their Future
A healthy ecosystem - dependent on clean air and water, natural hydrogeologic processes, and biological diversity - nurtures a healthy human population, which in turn must respect and tend those resources through conservation. Human systems too must reorient towards healthier outcomes for natural and human populations through changed practices in sanitation, food provisioning, and ecosystem services management. Planning for greener cities that conserve these Mediterranean resources will also provide avenues for improving public health.

Governance: Rethinking Boundaries
Cities are now the engines of the world economy and social structure and must, therefore, work as a network across sectors and national boundaries to bring more resources and knowledge to building solutions. To bring resiliency to the city and to the network of information sharing, new forms of governance and public-private partnerships must be examined for their efficacy in supporting an open exchange and transfer of ideas and technology.