Webinar: Maintaining Economic Vitality in a Changing Climate

Explore successful local and national approaches in maintaining business continuity and jobs while responding to extreme weather events, energy impacts and threats from other disruptions to national systems.

Date: March 22, 1:15 - 2:45 p.m. Eastern
Fee: FREE

Join the Security and Sustainability Forum (SSF) for a free webinar co-produced by ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability USA. Hear from global investment and economic development and planning leaders addressing ways to attract investments that create jobs and make cities more resilient to the impacts of climate disruptions.

Why Resilience Is Key to Economic Prosperity

In 2011, a record number of extreme weather events in the United States caused $53 billion in damages. How will government leaders at the local, state, and federal levels take action to protect assets and ensure safety as the events become more frequent? How will private industry respond?

The World Bank estimates that between $80 and $100 billion a year is needed to address the increase in frequency and severity of climate events, and most of that expense will be borne by cities. As daunting as that number sounds, it is dwarfed by the $100s of trillions spent on economic development worldwide. From a risk management standpoint, financing infrastructure that increases urban resilience to climate disruptions has big payoffs in protecting the value of economic development investments.

Panel Speakers and Discussion Topics

What is the role of government, industry and the investment community in making this risk equation work? Tune in to this webinar for answers and discussion from government leaders and global investment leaders. The panel includes:

• Jeb Brugmann author of “Welcome to the Urban Revolution: How Cities Are Changing the World” and a publication set for April release, “Financing the Resilient City: A Demand-driven Approach to Development, Disaster Reduction and Climate Adaptation”
• Mindy Lubber, President of Ceres, which leads a national coalition of investors, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working with companies to address sustainability challenges such as global climate change and water scarcity.
• Lykke Leonardsen, City of Copenhagen, Head of the Department for Strategy in the Centre for Parks and Nature at the Technical and Environmental Administration. She is helping to prepare the city's strategy for adapting to climate change.
• Karen Weigert, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Chicago. Karen will share a U.S. city planning perspective. Chicago is a national leader in climate adaptation efforts and approaches sustainability initiatives with a strong economic focus.

They will be joined by additional local government and insurance industry leaders (to be announced shortly) who will discuss climate risk evaluation and successful infrastructure and capacity building investments that are meeting the dual goals of sustainability and economic vitality.

This is the fifth in the Security and Sustainability Forum's series on Adaptation and Security in a Changing Climate. Access to SSF's webinar archive is offered through a free membership program.

About The Security and Sustainability Forum

SSF is a public interest, membership organization that hosts free live educational webinars. Sessions feature panels of global experts who address the human health and welfare impacts caused by climate and other environmental disruptions. A major focus of the webinars is how sustainable approaches to minimize environmental stresses can reduce instability and conflicts, thereby improving the security of mankind. Our programs seek not only to educate, but also to spark new ideas about approaches and solutions. Learn more at www.securityandsustainabilityforum.org.

About ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA

ICLEI is the leading nonprofit membership association of local governments committed to climate action, clean energy, and sustainability, with more than 550 U.S. members, and 1,100 worldwide. ICLEI USA's mission is to build, serve and drive a movement of local governments to advance deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and achieve tangible improvements in local sustainability. Learn more at www.icleiusa.org.