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Have Cities and Counties Reached a Tipping Point?
Martin J. Chavez
When I think about why ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability has grown so rapidly, I’m reminded of a moment in 2008 when I was mayor of Albuquer- que. We were developing our climate action plan, and to gather community input my staff brought to- gether people who had probably never been in the same room before: local business leaders, environ- mentalists, and students, to name a few. You’d think the cultures would have clashed,
but after lengthy discussion, everyone, includ- ing political conservatives and green conserva- tionists, realized they could agree on a common agenda: to conserve both our natural resources and our taxpayer dollars, and in the process make Albuquerque a better place to live for our children and grandchildren. What started out as a climate action planning process became an exercise in community building. In a similar way, thousands of cities, towns,
and counties of all sizes—from Boston and Seattle to Arlington, TX—have found common ground. They’ve learned from one another that to address greenhouse gas emissions is to address energy independence; to become more sustainable is to become more prosperous. The threat of climate change—whose impacts will be felt most tangibly at the local level—is still
a major motivator for local governments, despite the efforts of some to distort sound science. But here’s the tipping point: More elected officials are recognizing that clean energy and energy effi- ciency are the keys to help them save money and create jobs. We are on the threshold of an energy revolution, and cities can seize the opportunities or get left behind. In the past three years, ICLEI has more than
doubled its membership, counting 600 U.S. local government members and 1,200 worldwide, all committed to climate, sustainability, and energy action. Through the “ICLEI Network,” they are rapidly sharing best practices and innovations with one another, as ICLEI empowers them with software, tools, and technical guidance to meet their goals. We are the hub of a wheel that is turning faster, and as we like to say, local action moves the world. Planet Earth magazine delves into today’s most
pressing issues and shares the stories of cities and counties on the front lines of this movement. I invite you to turn the pages and learn about the innova- tive ways they are lowering greenhouse gas emis- sions, reducing energy use, saving money, and making their communities healthier and more liv- able places. These ideas are ready for replication, and ICLEI’s mission is to share them.
Martin J. Chavez ICLEI USA Executive Director, Former Mayor of Albuquerque, NM
Local Action Moves the World •
www.icleiusa.org
PLANET EARTH \\ WELCOME MESSAGE
COURTESY OF ICLEI
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