This week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released an updated report that the BBC reported: “warns of increasingly extreme heatwaves, droughts and flooding, and a key temperature limit being broken in just over a decade.” The climate scientists are calling for a “code red for humanity” to make deep reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions in the hopes that immediate action can reverse rising temperatures and stabilize what would otherwise be a climate catastrophe.

Local governments have taken bold steps to transition municipal operations and community-wide energy consumption to clean, renewable power. They often begin with a commitment; in fact, the Sierra Club reports that more than 180 cities, 10 counties and eight states across the U.S. have adopted renewable energy goals by resolution, through climate action plans, or other policies.

On Wednesday, Aug. 18, we will host a forum featuring leaders from the World Resources Institute and three LEED-certified cities – Chicago, St. Petersburg, and Houston to hear how their transition to 100% renewable energy is going. We’ll address their unique regional and statewide policy environment, relationships with utilities, talk about barriers or challenges they’ve faced, and concentrate on replicable strategies and advice for places just getting started. There will be time for a Q&A discussion with our speakers so please bring your inquiries along. This should be a lively forum with strong takeaways and next steps.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/cities-are-taking-bold-steps-transition-100-renewable-energy