The ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA have announced that 20 cities and counties achieved significant milestones in reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on ICLEI USA's Five Milestone process.
Through ICLEI USA's Five Milestone process, hundreds of local governments and communities take concrete steps to measure their GHG emissions, set realistic emissions reduction goals, develop hands-on climate action plans, and implement those plans in a measurable way that will yield results, according to the organization.
The five milestones are as follows:
--Milestone 1: Conduct a baseline emissions inventory and forecast
--Milestone 2: Adopt an emissions reduction target for the forecast year
--Milestone 3: Develop a Local Climate Action Plan
--Milestone 4: Implement policies and measures
--Milestone 5: Monitor and verify results
"The Milestone Awards recognize the great work of cities, towns and counties that are actively engaged in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and want a better quality of life for their residents," said Mayor Patrick Hays, City of North Little Rock, AR.
Since 1993, ICLEI USA has held 130 Five Milestone recognition events for local governments with more than 300 local governments receiving recognition for their various Milestone accomplishments.
The organization says the pace of milestone achievements has grown over the past year with 52 local governments completing one or more milestones.
"Through the success of the Five Milestone process, local governments are on track to reduce GHG emissions by 1.36 billion metric tons by 2020 -- the equivalent of taking 25 million passenger vehicles offs the road for 10 years -- an incredible achievement being led by our local governments," said Martin Chávez, executive director, ICLEI USA and three-term Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Here's a list of the most recent award winners:
Milestone One:
--Iowa City, IA
--Fairbanks, AK
--North Miami, FL
--Richmond, VA
Milestone Two:
--Alexandria, VA
--Charlottesville, VA
Milestone Three:
--Chevy Chase, MD
--Eugene, OR
--Loudoun County, VA
--Las Vegas, NV
--New Haven, CT
--Park City, UT
--Queen Anne’s County, MD
--Tacoma, WA
Milestone Four:
--Bellingham, WA
--Township of Hamilton, NJ
--Stamford, CT
Milestone Five:
--Austin, TX
--Pittsburgh, PA
--Seattle, WA
In February, ICLEI USA, together with the city of Chicago, launched the Green Office Challenge as one strategy to help the city reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020. The program also was adopted by four local governments in Charleston, SC; Nashville, TN; San Diego/Port of San Diego, CA and Arlington County, VA.
