Take Three Steps: Do your part to gain federal support for your local climate action priorities!
Test Our Toolkit: Help ICLEI pilot its Sustainability Planning Toolkit
Join a Webinar: Four offerings to enhance your efforts
Follow the Leaders: Seven mayors doing inspiring work

Help ICLEI and Climate Communities reinforce the Local Climate Action Week (Dec. 8-12) message that there are thousands of ready-to-go local government projects that would create jobs, reduce energy consumption, stimulate the economy, and curb greenhouse gas emissions.

1. E-mail us information on projects your community could expand or newly implement if federal dollars were available. >> Learn More

2. Sign the Climate Action Blueprint, which will be presented to president-elect Obama and Congress.

3. Distribute a press release to local media about your Blueprint signing and your local climate protection successes. >> View Our Template Press Release

Good news on green buildings:

Green Building Could Triple in Five Years: Report

USGBC's Upgraded Standards Ready to Roll for 2009

New Report Measures the Actual Impacts of Green Buildings for the First Time

ICLEI and New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability are developing a Sustainability Planning Toolkit and need your help to pilot the guidelines in the draft toolkit. If your local government is interested in developing a sustainability plan, you can benefit from this pilot program. >> Apply now!

ICLEI Webinar: How to Make Your School Buses Cleaner
Join this free, two-part webinar to learn about how to launch a cost-saving, pollution-reducing clean school bus initiative via technology retrofits, switching to biodiesel, and anti-idling policies.
Dec. 3, 10-11 a.m. EST (focus on retrofits)  >> Register Now
Dec. 4, 10-11 a.m. EST (focus on biodiesel)  >> Register Now

ICLEI Webinar: CACP and Portfolio Manager Software: Linking ICLEI and ENERGY STAR
Join ICLEI for a webinar workshop on how you can combine innovative tools from both ICLEI and the ENERGY STAR program to substantially aid your emissions reduction efforts and reduce energy costs.
Dec. 2, 1 p.m. EST  >> Register Now

Climate Communities National Calls: New Federal Opportunities for Local Governments
To join these two insightful conference calls, dial (800) 377-8846, and enter passcode 52520861#
Dec. 5, at 2 p.m. EST: local government role in securing green jobs and ensuring climate prosperity
Dec. 12, at 2 p.m. EST: upcoming federal resource opportunities for green and efficient buildings

Atlanta expects to save $1 million through green efforts

NYC Mayor Bloomberg Tries New Push for Green Taxis

Houston Mayor White Shifts Focus to Electrical Grid Reliability

Bay Area's big-city mayors endorse $1 billion plan for electric cars

Don’t forget to bookmark ICLEI’s Climate & Sustainability News page, or subscribe to our RSS feed. You can also bookmark our ICLEI & Members in the News page, or subscribe to the RSS feed.

“Our environmental story -- the transformation of Chattanooga from the dirtiest city in America to one of the cleanest and most livable -- is what put us on the short list of progressive communities. We intend to stay on that list.”

--Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, in a recent op-ed. 

The ICLEI network welcomes the following new local governments:

• Biddeford, Maine
• Cupertino, Calif.
• Hawaii County, Hawaii
• Meadville, Pa.
• Morro Bay, Calif.
• Olivette, Mo.
• South Bend, Ind.