US cities showcase how they are putting residents’ needs first in sustainability strategies
While headlines often focus on national and global climate initiatives, some of the most impactful work is happening away from the spotlight, right in our own backyards. Across the United States, cities are spearheading climate action and sustainability efforts in ways that don’t often get the attention they deserve.
The beauty of it is that these cities are not reinventing the wheel (they don’t need to!); they are learning from each other, implementing initiatives that are proven to work, and working together to solve new challenges. Fostering such collaboration and exchange of best practices is one of the main purposes of city networks like ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, which provides access to a global network of peers committed to sustainability. With over 30 years of activity, ICLEI has been empowering cities to take bold steps to build strong communities.
The recent ICLEI World Congress 2024 put on the international stage the cities of Baltimore (MD), Boulder (CO), Cleveland (OH), and Coral Springs (FL), whose efforts served as positive examples for other local governments worldwide.
Baltimore is engaging its community on climate issues by avoiding potentially polarizing language in its surveys and discussions. Instead, it focuses on everyday concerns like energy bills, public transit, and managing extreme weather. Following nearly three years of deep public engagement, this strategy has enabled Baltimore to gather input from its communities and shape a Climate Action Plan that resonates with them.
In Boulder, the simple act of placing a ten-cent fee on single-use plastic bags has led to a 70% reduction in their usage since 2012. The revenue generated is reinvested in the community, providing reusable bags to low-income residents; a small step with a big impact. When it published its Circular Boulder plan in 2020, the city became one of the first in the U.S. to define a local circular-economy vision with an emphasis on calculating the embodied carbon associated with procured materials and champion repair over waste.
Within its Climate Action Plan, Cleveland developed a Racial Equity Tool, guiding decision-makers to ensure that climate benefits are shared fairly across all communities. This ensures that every action considers its impact on equity, helping to address long-standing inequalities as part of the city’s broader environmental efforts.
Under the U.S. Department of State’s Cities Forward initiative, delivered by ICLEI offices across the Americas in partnership with Resilient Cities Catalyst and the Institute of the Americas, Coral Springs is paired with the city of Freeport, on the island of Grand Bahama, to advance equitable hurricane resilience. The two cities are assessing vulnerable community members’ needs in a particularly storm-battered neighborhood and defining a new resilience building code that will guide housing going forward.
These examples are just a glimpse of the diverse and impactful ways that U.S. cities are addressing climate challenges, supported by organizations like ICLEI. For instance, ICLEI’s ClearPath software has helped over 700 U.S. cities manage their greenhouse gas emissions.
Get a deeper understanding of the full breath of local climate action happening right now in the U.S. and worldwide by exploring the ICLEI World Congress 2024 interactive report.
