KLA Perspectives

Translating Trust into Climate Action

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Nov 1, 2023 6:29:43 PM

Climate ambassadors in Cary, NC spread the word about the Count Me in, Cary! climate action strategy

You might not be surprised to learn that trust in federal elected officials is in the basement. Only about32% of Americans have a “great deal/fair amount of trust” in Congress – 23% have “none at all”.  Top billing for trust among government institutions is local governments with 67% (though even that number has dropped from 75% just a few years ago). 

Source: Gallup

Perhaps that reflects your own opinions or rings true with what you see in the headlines.It’s one of the many reasons why KLA focusesalmost exclusively on local governments. But our laser focus on US cities, towns and counties is rooted more in the positives than the negatives: they are perfectly positioned and extremely motivated to meet the urgency of the climate crisis. Not through municipal operations alone but by sparking and enabling behavior change in the community.  

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Topics: sustainability, community engagement, local government, climate action, local leadership

How Can Climate Communication Drive Behavior Change?

Posted by Saahithi Achanta on Sep 19, 2023 12:56:28 PM

 

Guest Post by Saahithi Achanta, KLA Summer 2023 Marketing & Engagement Intern.

Saahithi is a rising senior at Boston University studying Environmental Policy and Analysis.

My summer as KLA's Marketing and Engagement Intern exposed me to three top strategies for driving behavior change as we fight the climate crisis, including the value of storytelling, the importance of knowing your audience, and the critical role of effective communication tactics in planning. 

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Topics: sustainability, local government, solutions, climate resiliency, equity, planning, Webinars

Regional Climate Action Planning: Webinar, Resources, & Expert Advice

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Aug 2, 2023 12:48:40 PM

In July, KLA held a webinar to discuss regional climate action and collaboration in a new age of federal funding for sustainability and resilience planning. The fact that the webinar took place among record deadly heat across the country only underscores the need for smart, ambitious climate action. 

Our expert panel, consisting of regional climate veterans from Clark County, NV and Washington, DC, discussed all things regional climate planning, from tips for regional GHG inventories to critical considerations for equitable engagement strategy.

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Topics: sustainability, local government, solutions, climate resiliency, equity, planning, Regional GHG Analysis, Regional Climate Action Planning, CPRG, Webinars

Beyond a Buzzword: Why Equity is a KLA Core Value

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Mar 29, 2023 10:43:29 AM

When it comes to local climate action planning work, we want “equitable” to be more than just a buzzword. As one of KLA’s core values, we make it central to our approach from start to finish both for how our company operates and the products and services we deliver to our local government clients. 

Why? Because a truly resilient, sustainable future means all members of the community are able to share in the prosperity and benefits it brings. To us, equity is non-negotiable.

In this post, we’re breaking down the value of equity in our line of work and how KLA centers it in our climate action planning.  

Four of our Climate Ambassadors on the Clark County engagement team. 

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Topics: community engagement, local government, equity, Core Values

10 Best Practices: Giving Everyone a Voice at Community Events

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Jul 12, 2017 10:34:21 AM

Community engagement is a critical part of our sustainability work and the linchpin for setting and meeting long-term goals. KLA teamed up with Emie Michaud Weinstock of Reveled Up, a branding and event marketing boutique, for a recent SAS Talk with Kim podcast. She shared so much useful information about how to design an event that engages everyone in your community that we have two companion blog posts: Part 1 focuses on event content and design; Part 2 on speakers and facilitators.

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Topics: community engagement, local government, SAS Talk Podcast

Using Data to Tell Your Story (Repost from APWA Reporter)

Posted by Kim Lundgren on May 23, 2017 9:34:55 PM

This article originally appeared in the May 2017 edition of the APWA (American Public Works Association) Reporter on page 50. You can access that publication here. 

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Topics: community engagement, local government

10 Memorable Moments from APA

Posted by Kim Lundgren on May 11, 2017 9:34:29 PM

The KLA team just got back from the American Planning Association's National Planning Conference in New York City. Here are 10 of our most memorable moments and key takeaways from the event:

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Topics: sustainability, community engagement, local government

Apply What We Learned from the KLA Branding Exercise to Your Community Program

Posted by Kim Lundgren on May 1, 2017 10:29:55 PM

Just over two years into my new company, I took a step back in order to take a giant leap forward. I went through a comprehensive branding exercise, the kind that I -- like many of us in start-up  mode -- had glossed over in the early days. The end result was a new name (KLA), new logo, new website, new marketing collateral -- and a new appreciation for why I do what I do. That journey and the lessons I learned along the way could prove instructive for your community programs. 

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Topics: community engagement, local government

Bush '05 + Trump '17 = Local Climate Action Now

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Mar 29, 2017 10:02:21 AM

The weather and nascent blooms certainly make it feel like spring. The question is: Spring 2017 or Spring 2005?

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Topics: local government, climate action

Great read from a colleague: "8 Things We Can Do to Adapt to Climate Change"

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Mar 22, 2017 11:07:33 AM

There’s nothing like hopping on to social media to see an empowering headline like “Climate change is happening now -- here’s eight things we can do to adapt to it” and then noticing the byline is one of your most esteemed colleagues. That was my much-needed jolt yesterday when I read the Guardian headline in my Facebook feed posted by the article’s author Missy Stults.

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Topics: climate change, local government