Photo: David Biello

At the UN Climate Summit on September 23, 228 cities representing 436 million people committed to avoid more than 2 gigatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year going forward under a new global "Compact of Mayors" - while nations did not put forth new reduction commitments. The number of urban residents worldwide is expected to grow rapidly, and cities are directly responsible for at least half of all GHG emissions. As a result, how a city urbanizes and plans its growth may determine the future of climate change. 

A new report from C40 identifies dramatic GHG emissions reductions possible in three key areas under cities' direct authority: green buildings, transportation (through both smart land-use and technology and transit), and waste management. With actions here, cities could help achieve 15% of the total global emissions reductions needed to stay below 2°C by 2050.(Scientific American)
 

For many cities, infrastructure projects to build resiliency - such as stormwater system upgrades or green alleys - are their most expensive capital projects to date, requiring substantial planning and funding. Cities like Dubuque, Iowa, and Norfolk, Va., discuss their plans to respond to existing and emerging challenges like flash flooding and coastal flooding. (Governing)  

New California law eliminates red tape for residential solar

Paperwork and permitting are some of the more costly parts of solar installation. Signed by the governor, AB 2188 will help to streamline the permitting process and reduce red tape, saving potentially up to $4,000 per system. Applicable to only systems under 10KW, the bill provides for a standardized checklist of requirements and specifications, with the permit automatically granted if all conditions are met. (Clean Technica, NBC)

Famous weather forecasters from around the world have made a series of videos on what the weather might be like in their country in 2050. Produced by major stations like the U.S.'s Weather Channel and Germany's ARD, the videos are part of a United Nations campaign, and are imaginary but realistic, based on the latest climate science. (Watch)

Photo: Greenbiz.com

CH2M Hill and The Nature Conservancy are announcing a new partnership to study and plan for green infrastructure in the West Coast, the post-Sandy region on the East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes regions. Their goal is to not only generate projects in all four regions but to help green infrastructure become an actionable option for policymakers and city managers. Read more to learn about green infrastructure, its benefits, and its potential for both public and private applications. (GreenBiz) 

Infrastructure investment such as upgrading public transportation infrastructure can improve productivity and generate new economic activity. According to a C40 report, investing in resilient networks will have economic paybacks for cities and businesses. Two hundred major cities worldwide were surveyed and many cited substantial benefits to public and private economies from adaptation activities. (Link) 

Two dozen scientists, authors, and world and national figures answered two questions: What is your greatest worry about climate change? What gives you hope? Read on to hear answers from Tenzin Gyatso, Barbara Kingsolver, James Hansen, Elizabeth Kolbert, and more. (NYTimes)

Photo: Moyan Brenn via Flickr

Already well prepared for climate change, the coastal river delta city of Rotterdam is now sharing its expertise and best practices with cities around the world. Through the Connecting Delta Cities network, Dutch experts and politicians are working with local consultants, advisors, and institutions to plan for and implement adaptation strategies. Rotterdam experts have also contributed to a series of free books on challenges facing Delta cities, best practices, and implementation strategies and practical examples. (Next City)

The New Jersey Climate Adaption Alliance recommends integrating climate adaptation into state regulations, long-term planning, local land-use decisions, and funding allocations. The state has been criticized for post-Sandy rebuilding along the Jersey Shore without accounting for sea level rise. The report also recommended that the state incorporate capital planning and decision-making into all levels of government, and requiring local master plans to address the effects of climate change. (NJ Spotlight)

CalFire has released a grant solicitation for projects funded by Cap and Trade proceeds for urban and community forestry. Though all projects are required to reduce GHG emissions, projects such as urban tree planting and reclaiming and restoring unused urban lands also have adaptation co-benefits. Concept proposals will be due November 13, 2014. There will be six public workshops on the grant solicitation. (Grant solicitation)

Board Room, SACOG, 1415 L St. #300, Sacramento

October 9, 1:00-4:30pm

Come to the Climate Readiness Collaborative's first Quarterly Meeting to learn more about responding to climate change impacts in the region and how we can work together to leverage adaptation opportunities. Topics will include water supply, wildfire, transportation, business resiliency and more. Participants will also have an opportunity to share additional opportunities and identify next steps to help sustain and enhance the Capital Region's resiliency efforts.  (Learn more and register)

PACE Financing for Energy Efficiency: Success Stories

October 7, 2014, 12-1pm PST

A PACE program developer (John Kinney, Clean Fund), a city administrator (Eric Shambarger, City of Milwaukee), and a property owner (Steve Thompson, Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City) will discuss their successful experiences with PACE financing programs. (Register) 

October 7, 1:30pm

Sierra Hearing Room, Cal/EPA Building, 1001 I Street, Sacramento 

Dr. Susan Handy of the National Center for Sustainable Transportation will review the empirical evidence on how effective various transportation and land use strategies are at reducing vehicle miles traveled. This seminar will outline some of the most promising strategies to help inform development of and potential improvements to the models, tools, and information used by Metropolitan Planning Organizations, local governments, and others for SB 375 implementation. (ARB / Webcast)

October 27-30, San Francisco

VERGE San Francisco convenes the most progressive companies, cities, and innovators to examine the technologies and systems to accelerate sustainability in a climate-constrained world. There are sessions focused on resilient cities, smart buildings and more. You can also request an invitation to City Summit, a full-day working session focused on how cities and the private sector are working together to achieve deep carbon reductions. Get 10% off with LGC's special discount code VSF14LGC (Register).

The 2nd National Adaptation Forum is accepting proposals for symposia, training sessions, working groups, poster presentations, and a tools café. The theme is adaptation integration - making adaptation part of everything and breaking out of silos to create holistic, durable solutions. The Forum will take place May 12-14, 2015, in St. Louis, MO. All proposals are due by 11:59pm PST, October 24, 2014. (NAF)

The Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative is a membership based collaborative network designed to promote greater climate change resilience planning coordination in the six-county Sacramento Region. The purpose of this collaborative network is to create a forum where leaders from government, academia, environmental and community groups, the business community, and labor can come together to exchange information, identify vulnerabilities and data gaps, leverage resources, and advance comprehensive solutions in an effort to create stronger, sustainable, and economically viable communities in the Sacramento Region.  If you are interested in learning more about the Climate Readiness Collaborative, joining the Collaborative, or being added to the list serv, visit: www.climatereadiness.info/