Equipped with more information on how these and other climate-related factors present financial risks and opportunities, local leaders can improve their decision-making, risk management, and project prioritization.

This C2ES primer is designed to help communities protect their fiscal health and position themselves for a thriving future by better identifying and assessing financial risks and opportunities related to climate change.

The primer is organized as follows:

1. How local governments can benefit from understanding the impacts of climate-related financial risks and opportunities
2. Potential financial impacts from climate-related risks and opportunities
3. Science-based tools and other resources for local governments and public sector entities to assess climate risks and opportunities
4. Climate risk assessment and disclosure and its evolution for local governments in the United States
5. What’s needed to enable strong fiscal management at the local level as climate impacts and economic shifts accelerate

This primer’s resource tables are available here.

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Funding through the IIJA will advance transportation, energy, broadband, and resilience initiatives. The IIJA provides grant funding for state and local governments, increases the cap on private activity bonds—opening the door for more public-private partnerships—and sets a framework for reducing carbon emissions, investing in clean energy, and building national climate resilience.

These case studies from the Alliance for a Sustainable Future, a collaboration between C2ES and The U.S. Conference of Mayors, highlight what cities can do to preposition themselves for this critical funding. By identifying proven strategies for leveraging federal and state funding, this report offers a guide to funding opportunities and steps to position local agencies to receive funds and replicate successful project strategies.

The post Cities Advancing Climate Action: Federal Funds for Local Impact appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

In this webinar, experts will discuss opportunities to strengthen the resilience of our infrastructure and criteria to guide resilient infrastructure legislation and projects.

The post Building for Tomorrow: Jobs, Climate, and Resilient Infrastructure appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Despite these challenges, partnerships between cities and the private sector to address the impact of climate change not only continued, but grew. The case studies in this document highlight how cooperation among cities and companies can lead to promising, cost-effective programs that support our goals in reducing the impact of climate change.

Case Studies

• The Blue Horizon Project: A Cleaner Energy Future for Asheville Residents: A collaboration between the City of Asheville, Buncombe County, and Duke Energy, the Blue Horizons project promoted demand-side management and energy efficiency to defer investment in a new natural gas combustion turbine “peaker” plant.
• A Building Energy Performance Standard in St. Louis: In May 2020, through an extensive community engagement process, the city adopted a Building Energy Performance Standard to significantly reduce the energy use of municipal, commercial, institutional, and residential buildings 50,000 square feet and larger.
• St. Louis Solar Workforce Development Pilot: In late 2020, amid the global pandemic and economic downturn, the city of St. Louis launched its Solar Workforce Development pilot program to train a cohort of local residents to help them participate in the burgeoning green economy.
• St. Petersburg’s Clean Energy Future: St. Petersburg’s Clean Energy Roadmap includes a focus on enhancing and electrifying transportation. The city is pursuing a Complete Streets Policy, expanding public and active transportation options, partnering with Duke Energy Florida (DEF) to improve electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, and supporting EV adoption in the region.
• West Sacramento On-Demand Rideshare: In 2018, West Sacramento deployed an innovative rideshare service in partnership with Via Transportation Inc. offering community members an affordable, accessible, and sustainable mobility option for trips within the city.

The post American Mayors and Businesses: Building Partnerships for a Low-Carbon Future Volume IV appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Mayors and city officials are deliberating what will happen post-pandemic, after people are vaccinated and return to a “new normal.” Will people still choose to live and work in cities? What will the future of downtowns, businesses, and retail look like?  As Mayors and city staff navigate these questions and work to shape the future of their communities, what can be done to help ensure that your city is on a low-carbon and equitable path?

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