ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA
Encyclopedia
ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization of U.S. cities, towns, and counties working to address climate change
, clean energy
, and local sustainability
. ICLEI USA is the U.S. branch of the international organization of the same name, ICLEI
-Local Governments for Sustainability.
emissions and achieve tangible improvements in local sustainability.” ICLEI USA acts as a consultant and resource-sharing network to its local government members. Local governments typically join ICLEI to access its energy and greenhouse gas accounting software, tools, technical guidance, training, and peer networking to connect with other local governments and share questions and solutions. ICLEI also helps to represent local governments at international climate meetings and negotiations.
and Los Angeles County to Dubuque, Iowa
and Arlington, Texas
.
The only requirements for ICLEI membership are a self-defined commitment to climate protection and the payment of annual membership dues based on population size.
was founded in 1990, with its World Secretariat headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The U.S. office opened formally in 1995. ICLEI USA’s Executive Office is now based in Washington, D.C.
and the World Secretariat is in Bonn, Germany.
In March 2010, Martin Chávez
, former three-term Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico
, was appointed ICLEI USA’s Executive Director. Chávez previously served on ICLEI USA’s Board of Directors and was recognized nationally as a “green mayor” during his tenure in Albuquerque. Chávez leads a staff of 52 ICLEI USA employees, based in six regional offices: Boston, Massachusetts; Atlanta, Georgia
; Chicago, Illinois; Houston, Texas
; Oakland, California
; and Seattle, Washington
.
• In July 2010, ICLEI USA announced a partnership with Hara to develop energy and environmental software solutions for local governments.
• In April 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy selected ICLEI USA to provide guidance and technical assistance to help up to 5,000 U.S. local governments scale up solar power in their communities, through DOE’s Solar America Communities program.
A 2009 report found that at least 155 of ICLEI USA’s local government members had set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, committing to a projected reduction of more than 1.36 billion metric tons of C02e by 2020, the equivalent of taking 25 million passenger cars off the road for 10 years.
ICLEI encourages its local government members to follow a standard Five Milestone process to set and achieve their goals:
, and the National League of Cities
. Local governments that use STAR will be able to assess and improve their sustainability performance.
In December 2010, ICLEI USA announced the selection of ten cities and counties that will play a primary role in defining how STAR will help local governments measure and improve their sustainability performance. STAR will transform and accelerate the local sustainability movement by offering cities and counties a roadmap for advancing climate protection, economic recovery and equal opportunities for all residents within a community.
The following ten cities and counties were selected as STAR Beta Communities:
launched the Chicago Green Office Challenge in partnership with ICLEI USA as an innovative strategy to significantly improve the environmental performance of commercial buildings, which account for a major share of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Today, the Green Business Challenge is a popular program - among cities large and small - that engages commercial property managers, office tenants, and other business sectors in reducing their energy, waste, and water use. ICLEI co-developed this innovative program (first launched in Chicago) in response to a growing need by local governments to engage the commercial sector in climate action and sustainability goals. The program has now successfully expanded into several major cities including; Westchester, NY; the Port of San Diego, CA; Houston, TX; Arlington County, VA; Saint Louis, MO; and Charleston, SC. In April, ICLEI USA and partner, Office Deport, announced a significant expansion of the Green Business Challenge program by ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Local government representatives from the cities of Austin, TX, Bellevue, WA, and Chula Vista, CA, as well as the Triangle J Council of Governments – made up of Chatham
, Durham
, Johnston
, Lee
, Moore
, Orange
and Wake
counties in North Carolina joined ICLEI USA and Office Depot officials at the New York Stock Exchange to mark this important occasion.
Success of the Green Business Challenge Program
In Chicago, where the program originated, participating property managers reduced their energy usage by an average of 7.9% over the course of a year and water usage by more than 5%, diverted 1,200 tons of waste from the landfill, and collectively saved $5.1 million through energy savings. These efforts also helped save more than 72 million kilowatt hours of electricity, and kept more than 54,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents from being emitted into the atmosphere.
Corporate President and Board Chair
Patrick Hays - Mayor, City of North Little Rock, Arkansas
Corporate Secretary
Pegeen Hanrahan
- Former Mayor, City of Gainesville, Florida
Corporate Treasurer
Frank Cownie
- Mayor, City of Des Moines, Iowa
Regional Directors
Valerie Brown - Board of Supervisors, District One, Sonoma County, California
Margaret Pageler - Urban Sustainability Advisor, Seattle, Washington
Oscar B. Goodman - Mayor, City of Las Vegas, Nevada
Dow Constantine
- Commissioner King County, Washington
Salud Carbajal - Supervisor, City of Santa Barbara, California
Henrietta Davis - City Councilor and Vice Mayor, City of Cambridge, Massachusetts
Bob Austin - Commissioner, Clackamas County, Oregon
Michael A. Nutter - Mayor, City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Harvey Ruvin - Clerk of the Courts, Miami-Dade County
, Florida
Executive Director
Martin Chávez
- former three-term Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico
World Secretariat
David Cadman
- ICLEI President and City Councilor, Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
Konrad Otto-Zimmermann - ICLEI Secretary General, Freiburg, Germany
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, clean energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
, and local sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
. ICLEI USA is the U.S. branch of the international organization of the same name, ICLEI
ICLEI
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, founded in 1990 as the 'International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives', is an international association of local governments and national and regional local government organizations that have made a commitment to sustainable development...
-Local Governments for Sustainability.
ICLEI USA’s Mission
ICLEI USA’s stated mission is “to build, serve, and drive a movement of local governments to advance deep reductions in greenhouse gasGreenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
emissions and achieve tangible improvements in local sustainability.” ICLEI USA acts as a consultant and resource-sharing network to its local government members. Local governments typically join ICLEI to access its energy and greenhouse gas accounting software, tools, technical guidance, training, and peer networking to connect with other local governments and share questions and solutions. ICLEI also helps to represent local governments at international climate meetings and negotiations.
Local Government Membership
ICLEI includes 1,227 local government members worldwide in 70 countries, with more than 600 in the United States. ICLEI USA membership grew by 58% in 2008 and by 25% in 2009. U.S. local government members include cities, towns, and counties of all sizes, from New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Los Angeles County to Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
and Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
.
The only requirements for ICLEI membership are a self-defined commitment to climate protection and the payment of annual membership dues based on population size.
History and Organizational Structure
ICLEIICLEI
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, founded in 1990 as the 'International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives', is an international association of local governments and national and regional local government organizations that have made a commitment to sustainable development...
was founded in 1990, with its World Secretariat headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The U.S. office opened formally in 1995. ICLEI USA’s Executive Office is now based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and the World Secretariat is in Bonn, Germany.
In March 2010, Martin Chávez
Martin Chavez
Martin Joseph Chávez Chávez is a former three-term mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico and New Mexico State Senator. He currently serves as the Executive Director of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA. and Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Center for Green Schools at U.S. Green...
, former three-term Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, was appointed ICLEI USA’s Executive Director. Chávez previously served on ICLEI USA’s Board of Directors and was recognized nationally as a “green mayor” during his tenure in Albuquerque. Chávez leads a staff of 52 ICLEI USA employees, based in six regional offices: Boston, Massachusetts; Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
; Chicago, Illinois; Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
; Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
; and Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
Explaining the Acronym
ICLEI was founded in 1990 as the “International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.” But in 2003, ICLEI's local government members voted to revise the organization's mission, charter and name to better reflect the current challenges local governments face, and the broader topic of sustainability. The “International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives” became “ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability,” which remains its official name.ICLEI USA in the News
• In July 2010, ICLEI USA Executive Director Martin Chávez established himself as a leading national voice—and ICLEI as a national advocate—in support of local government property-assessed clean energy (PACE) programs, which were being shut down by a regulatory decision by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.• In July 2010, ICLEI USA announced a partnership with Hara to develop energy and environmental software solutions for local governments.
• In April 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy selected ICLEI USA to provide guidance and technical assistance to help up to 5,000 U.S. local governments scale up solar power in their communities, through DOE’s Solar America Communities program.
Programs and Processes
ICLEI USA assists local government members via several programs to address climate change and sustainability, including its Climate Mitigation Program, Climate Resilient Communities Program, and Sustainability Program.A 2009 report found that at least 155 of ICLEI USA’s local government members had set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, committing to a projected reduction of more than 1.36 billion metric tons of C02e by 2020, the equivalent of taking 25 million passenger cars off the road for 10 years.
ICLEI encourages its local government members to follow a standard Five Milestone process to set and achieve their goals:
- Milestone One: Establish a baseline (e.g., a greenhouse gas emissions inventory, sustainability assessment, or climate resiliency study) and forecast.
- Milestone Two: Set goals. (e.g., sustainability goals, greenhouse gas reduction targets)
- Milestone Three: Develop a plan. (e.g., a climate action plan, climate adaptation or sustainability plan)
- Milestone Four: Implement the plan’s policies and measures.
- Milestone Five: Monitor and evaluate progress, and report results.
STAR Community Index
The STAR Community Index ™ (STAR), is a rating system and management tool that was created in partnership with the USGBC the Center for American ProgressCenter for American Progress
The Center for American Progress is a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization. Its website states that the organization is "dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action." It has its headquarters in Washington D.C.Its President and Chief...
, and the National League of Cities
National League of Cities
The National League of Cities is an American advocacy organization representing 19,000 cities, towns, and villages, and encompassing 49 state municipal leagues....
. Local governments that use STAR will be able to assess and improve their sustainability performance.
In December 2010, ICLEI USA announced the selection of ten cities and counties that will play a primary role in defining how STAR will help local governments measure and improve their sustainability performance. STAR will transform and accelerate the local sustainability movement by offering cities and counties a roadmap for advancing climate protection, economic recovery and equal opportunities for all residents within a community.
The following ten cities and counties were selected as STAR Beta Communities:
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Boulder, CO
- Chattanooga, TN
- Cranberry Township, PA
- Des Moines, IA
- King County, WA
- New York, NY
- St. Louis, MO
- Washington, DC
Green Business Challenge
In 2009, former Chicago Mayor Richard M. DaleyRichard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
launched the Chicago Green Office Challenge in partnership with ICLEI USA as an innovative strategy to significantly improve the environmental performance of commercial buildings, which account for a major share of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Today, the Green Business Challenge is a popular program - among cities large and small - that engages commercial property managers, office tenants, and other business sectors in reducing their energy, waste, and water use. ICLEI co-developed this innovative program (first launched in Chicago) in response to a growing need by local governments to engage the commercial sector in climate action and sustainability goals. The program has now successfully expanded into several major cities including; Westchester, NY; the Port of San Diego, CA; Houston, TX; Arlington County, VA; Saint Louis, MO; and Charleston, SC. In April, ICLEI USA and partner, Office Deport, announced a significant expansion of the Green Business Challenge program by ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Local government representatives from the cities of Austin, TX, Bellevue, WA, and Chula Vista, CA, as well as the Triangle J Council of Governments – made up of Chatham
Chatham County, North Carolina
Chatham County is a county located in the Piedmont area of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 49,329. Its county seat is Pittsboro.-History:...
, Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, Johnston
Johnston County, North Carolina
-Major highways:* Interstate 40* Interstate 95* U.S. Highway 70* U.S. Highway 301* U.S. Highway 701-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 121,965 people, 46,595 households, and 33,688 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were...
, Lee
Lee County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 49,040 people, 18,466 households, and 13,369 families residing in the county. The population density was 191 people per square mile . There were 19,909 housing units at an average density of 77 per square mile...
, Moore
Moore County, North Carolina
Moore County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 74,769. Its county seat is Carthage.- History :The county was formed in 1784 from Cumberland County...
, Orange
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...
and Wake
Wake County, North Carolina
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...
counties in North Carolina joined ICLEI USA and Office Depot officials at the New York Stock Exchange to mark this important occasion.
Success of the Green Business Challenge Program
In Chicago, where the program originated, participating property managers reduced their energy usage by an average of 7.9% over the course of a year and water usage by more than 5%, diverted 1,200 tons of waste from the landfill, and collectively saved $5.1 million through energy savings. These efforts also helped save more than 72 million kilowatt hours of electricity, and kept more than 54,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents from being emitted into the atmosphere.
Board of Directors
The ICLEI USA Board of Directors is a body of local leaders from across the country, including mayors and county executives representing each region, as well as global representatives. The Board helps drive the organization strategically and ensures that ICLEI’s value to its local government members continues to meet and exceed expectations.Corporate President and Board Chair
Patrick Hays - Mayor, City of North Little Rock, Arkansas
North Little Rock, Arkansas
the city was 62.55% White, 33.98% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races...
Corporate Secretary
Pegeen Hanrahan
Pegeen Hanrahan
Margaret "Pegeen" Hanrahan was the mayor of Gainesville, Florida, her native city, from 2004 through 2010. Described by The Nation as a "vegetarian, bike-riding environmentalist", Hanrahan has been active in politics since she was a teenager. An environmental engineer, she was elected to the...
- Former Mayor, City of Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
Corporate Treasurer
Frank Cownie
Frank Cownie
Thomas Michael Franklin "Frank" Cownie is the current mayor of Des Moines, Iowa in the United States.He owns and operates a Cownie Furs, a store that has been in his family for generations....
- Mayor, City of Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
Regional Directors
Valerie Brown - Board of Supervisors, District One, Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
Margaret Pageler - Urban Sustainability Advisor, Seattle, Washington
Oscar B. Goodman - Mayor, City of Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
Dow Constantine
Dow Constantine
Dow Constantine is an American politician in the state of Washington where he currently serves as King County Executive, an office he has held since November 2009. He was previously in the state legislature and on the King County Council, chairing the latter before his election as Executive...
- Commissioner King County, Washington
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
Salud Carbajal - Supervisor, City of Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
Henrietta Davis - City Councilor and Vice Mayor, City of Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
Bob Austin - Commissioner, Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...
Michael A. Nutter - Mayor, City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Harvey Ruvin - Clerk of the Courts, Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
Executive Director
Martin Chávez
Martin Chavez
Martin Joseph Chávez Chávez is a former three-term mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico and New Mexico State Senator. He currently serves as the Executive Director of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA. and Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Center for Green Schools at U.S. Green...
- former three-term Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
World Secretariat
David Cadman
David Cadman
David Cadman is a Vancouver city councillor, first elected in 2002. A social and environmental activist, Cadman is a member of Coalition of Progressive Electors....
- ICLEI President and City Councilor, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Konrad Otto-Zimmermann - ICLEI Secretary General, Freiburg, Germany