CitiesGoGreen -September 2008 - (Page 24) A Most Essential Climate Change Organization by Daimon Sweeney The mission of ICLEI-USA 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. Special Report ICLEI is a resource for anyone in local government who is contemplating climate action. This Special Report introduces the organization’s purpose, approach, activities and programs. I became acquainted with the mysteriously named ICLEI through attending ICLEI-USA’s annual Local Action Summit in Albuquerque, NM, in May of 2008. The 2009 ICLEI World Congress is in Edmonton, Alberta, June 14-18, if you’re interested, which I encourage you to be. Local governments are leading the way on climate change, and helping local governments do that is ICLEI’s purpose. The level of work done by the few dozen people who comprise ICLEI-USA is astonishing. The importance of that work is impossible to overstate, and the intelligence with which it is conceived and executed is inspiring. With all that, what is perhaps most striking is how happy these people are as they do it. Admittedly that last is not a scientific assessment. I didn’t meet every single person in ICLEI, but that was the consistent impression from those I did meet. I can easily believe that knowing you are doing what could easily be seen as some of the most important work in the world and doing it at a superlative level of effectiveness has to bring a feeling of lightness. If so, it shows. The Local Action Summit The Summit itself had a marked spirit of friendliness and camaraderie, with an unspoken (and spoken, for that matter) acknowledgement that those present share a common enterprise that truly matters, and that each person has a role, with both learning to do Local governments are where the action is on and experience to offer. In attendance were mayors, county climate change, and addressing climate change executives, council members, on the local governmental level is ICLEI’s focus. “special projects” managers, planning directors and staff, and others directly concerned with help- nize that the reality of climate change is ing their communities respond to climate so undeniable, ominous and urgent that it supersedes business as usual. The evichange. The feeling at the Summit kept remind- dence of creative and responsible action ing me of something which only now was apparent in every conversation and clicked into place. We were gathered in presentation. Permeating everything was the clear a cool, spacious convention center in a calm, sunny city, but the feeling was es- recognition that effective action is what sentially that of a community respond- counts. ing to an impending natural disaster. A healthy community, that is, without pan- Local action to global effect ic, harmful self-interest or institutional Action is where ICLEI shines. Founded in obstructionism. 1990, ICLEI is producing new tools, partIn this kind of circumstance everyone nerships and initiatives at what seems like sees what’s happening and the questions an ever-increasing rate. ICLEI uses them become, “What are we going to do about to help its local government members it?” and “What can I do?” With shared and clarified priorities, a remarkable sense of community arises. Each person positions themselves where they feel they can contribute the most. They are energized and naturally do their best. Creative responses may appear and be adopted rapidly. Great things can be accomplished and humanity often shines in these situations. This is the spirit pervading ICLEI, its members and partners. It’s inspiring to be in a room with 400 people who recog- About that name…ICLEI once stood for International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives, but no more. Dropping the cumbersome name and keeping the memorable acronym, with a more illuminating subtitle, it is now “ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability,” which says it all. Most people just call it ICLEI. But how do you actually say it? While some say eek-lay, as if it might be French, and some spell it out: I-C-L-E-I, field research reveals that Executive Director Michelle Wyman and others very closely involved with the organization say it straight out: ik-lee. So don’t be shy or uncertain—just say it. September 2008 24 .com http://www.citiesgogreen.com/component/content/article/21-september-2008/164-iclei http://www.citiesgogreen.com/component/content/article/21-september-2008/164-iclei http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=7756 http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=7756 http://CitiesGoGreen.com
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