ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA

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ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA
Company typeNational Organization
IndustrySustainable Development at the Local Level
Founded1995 Oakland, California
HeadquartersBoston, Massachusetts and Executive Offices in Washington, D.C.
Number of employees
Approximately 60 (nationwide)
Websitewww.ICLEIUSA.org [1]

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.[1]

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 gas 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.[2]

Local Government Membership

ICLEI includes 1,227 local government members worldwide in 70 countries, with more than 600 in the United States.[3] ICLEI USA membership grew by 58% in 2008[4] and by 25% in 2009.[5] U.S. local government members include cities, towns, and counties of all sizes, from New York City and Los Angeles County to Dubuque, Iowa and Arlington, Texas.[6]

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.[7]

History and Organizational Structure

ICLEI was founded in 1990, with its World Secretariat headquartered in Toronto, Canada.[8] 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.[9]

In March 2010, Martin Chávez, former three-term Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was appointed ICLEI USA’s Executive Director.[10] Chávez previously served on ICLEI USA’s Board of Directors and was recognized nationally as a “green mayor” during his tenure in Albuquerque.[11] 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.[12]

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.[13]

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.[14][15][16]

• In July 2010, ICLEI USA announced a partnership with Hara to develop energy and environmental software solutions for local governments.[17]

• 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.[18]

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.[19]

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.[20]

ICLEI encourages its local government members to follow a standard Five Milestone process to set and achieve their goals[21]:

  • 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 Progress, and the National League of Cities. Local governments that use STAR will be able to assess and improve their sustainability performance. [22]

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.[23][24]


The following ten cities and counties were selected as STAR Beta Communities:

Green Business Challenge

In 2009, former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley 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[25] 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.[26] 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.[27]

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.[28]

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

External links

References

  1. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/about-iclei/faqs/general-information-faq
  2. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/about-iclei
  3. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/about-iclei/faqs/general-information-faq
  4. ^ ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA, “Annual Report 2008,” 2/1/2009 http://www.icleiusa.org/library/documents/ICLEI-annual-report-08.pdf
  5. ^ ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA, “Measuring Up Annual Report 2009,” 12/15/2009 http://www.icleiusa.org/library/documents/ICLEI%20USA%202009%20Annual%20Report.pdf
  6. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/about-iclei/staff/about-iclei/members/member-list
  7. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/join/process-of-joining/process-of-joining
  8. ^ http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=748
  9. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/about-iclei/history
  10. ^ The New Mexico Independent, “Former ABQ Mayor Chávez takes job with sustainability org,” 2/17/2010
  11. ^ U.S. Conference of Mayors, "2007 Mayors Climate Protection Award Winners Announced," 7/23/2007
  12. ^ ICLEI USA staff listing, http://www.icleiusa.org/about-iclei/staff
  13. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/about-iclei/faqs/general-information-faq
  14. ^ SolveClimate.com, "Villains Again? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Nix Innovative Home Energy Programs" 7/7/2010
  15. ^ Grist, "Energy bill could save PACE clean-energy program—if a Republican will help," 7/27/2010 http://www.grist.org/article/2010-07-27-senate-energy-bill-could-save-pace-clean-energy-program-if-a-rep/
  16. ^ ICLEI USA, "ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA Joins Members of Congress in Urging Federal Housing Finance Agency Acting Director, Edward DeMarco to Restore PACE Funding or Resign," 7/16/2010 http://www.icleiusa.org/news-events/press-room/iclei-local-governments-for-sustainability-usa-joins-members-of-congress-in-urging-federal-housing-finance-agency-acting-director-edward-demarco-to-restore-pace-funding-or-resign
  17. ^ San Francisco Business Times, “Hara lands big partner, targets cities,” 7/6/2010 http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/07/05/daily13.html
  18. ^ U.S. Department of Energy EERE News, “Department of Energy Announces up to $10 Million for Solar Energy Education for Local Governments,” 4/16/2010
  19. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/programs
  20. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/programs
  21. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/action-center/getting-started/iclei2019s-five-milestones-for-climate-protection http://www.icleiusa.org/programs/sustainability/five-milestones-for-sustainability http://www.icleiusa.org/programs/climate/Climate_Adaptation/five-milestones-for-climate-adaptation
  22. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/star
  23. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/news-events/press-room/press-releases/nine-leading-cities-and-counties-selected-to-help-design-revolutionary-sustainability-performance-management-online-platform-for-star
  24. ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2011/01/13/austin-chosen-to-pilot-new-green.html
  25. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/programs/climate/green-business-challenge
  26. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/green-business-challenge-expanding-again-with-help-from-office-depot/?searchterm=closing%20bell
  27. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/news-events/press-room/press-releases/iclei-usa-joins-chicago-mayor-richard-m.-daley-in-announcing-round-two-of-highly-successful-green-office-challenge/?searchterm=chicago%20round%202
  28. ^ http://www.icleiusa.org/about-iclei/board-of-directors

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