What Is I.C.L.E.I.?

ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) is a membership association of local governments committed to advancing climate protection and sustainable development. Like many government associations, it is a way for jurisdictions working on a common goal to network, share lessons learned and explore best practices. Thurston County first became a member of the U.S branch of ICLEI in March 2010. This was made possible through the County’s Energy Efficiency and Conversation Block Grant (EECBG) from the Department of Energy. Annual dues for the County’s membership are paid through the EECBG grant.

Membership with ICLEI has been beneficial because it‘s a great first stop for questions or challenges staff may have when working with aspects of sustainable planning. There are no simple checklists to follow than can make our community more sustainable. That is why access to information formatted for local governments, as opposed to most sources which are formatted for the private sector, is especially important. Issues explored either on the ICLEI site or in webinars offer the ability to connect to other jurisdictions across the country to talk over experiences and share stories. Regional studies of greenhouse gas emissions are more accurate and easy to produce for jurisdictions that utilize one of ICLEI's carbon calculators made available to members. ICLEI is the single best source of tools and information that customize their products for the functions of local government. A full list of membership benefits can be found on ICLEI’s website.

 

Within the first year of membership ICLEI has benefited the work of Thurston County in the following ways:

• Provided a sample resolution that was used in the creation of the Pathway to Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Resolution
• Made available hundreds of studies on energy, transportation and climate issues that are specific to local government functions and operations
• Allowed the County access to dozens of webinar events on the role of local government in sustainability
• Connected County staff with other jurisdictions around the country that are working on similar issues
• Created extensive greenhouse gas modeling tools used by County staff

For more information check out the ICLEI-USA homepage.

 

Contact Us

Interested Parties: If you would like to be added to our Web Mail list, please click here. Staff contact: John Druelinger, Assistant Planner. Phone: 360-754-4109. E-mail: druelij@co.thurston.wa.us.

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