KLA Perspectives

Breaking the Ice: How Storytelling Bridges the Climate Conversation Gap

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Nov 14, 2023 11:04:52 PM

We get it. Especially around the holidays, many people tend to avoid conversations that they perceive to be controversial: whether that be politics, personal life, or the climate crisis. But the recent uptick in understanding and concern about the latter provides the opportunity for climate conversations with friends and family to not only be uncontroversial, but productive in facilitating positive climate action. 

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Topics: sustainability, community, community engagement, storytelling, communications

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

Power of Preparedness: Collaborating to Address Climate Vulnerability

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Sep 21, 2023 10:23:34 AM

Stakeholder meeting between Cary, NC sustainability staff and first responders

September is National Preparedness Month, and as the world comes out of a scorching summer with seemingly never-ending climate hazards (think wildfire smoke on the East coast, freak flooding and hail events in the Southwest, and record temperatures across the country), integrating emergency preparedness into climate action planning is more important than ever. Summer 2023 was Earth’s hottest on record, with over 97% of the American population experiencing at least one summer day notably influenced by climate change.

For many municipalities, it might not be standard operating procedures for a sustainability team to actively collaborate with first responders and public safety officials during the climate action planning process – but it absolutely should be. When it comes to best preparing your community for the effects of climate change, cross-departmental collaboration isn’t a tick-the-box or nice-to-have. It’s absolutely essential.

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Topics: sustainability, climate action, equity, preparedness

Choosing Climate Metrics that Matter

Posted by Nathan Abreu-Cruz on Sep 19, 2023 12:57:02 PM

 

Guest Post by Nathan Abreu-Cruz, KLA Summer 2023 Climate Analysis Intern.

Nathan is a recent graduate of Clark University, where he studied Environmental Science, with a specialization in Earth System Science.

Climate change resilience is the ability to withstand the effects of climate change. Resilience metrics allow us to track our progress in attaining greater climate resiliency, by giving us a sense of what “successful” climate change adaptation looks like.  

There is a wide range of metrics that a community can track to measure the progress of climate action. Throughout my work at KLA, I've learned that picking the right metrics and targets for each community is critical in forming climate action plans that are well-fit to the municipalities they serve. 

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Topics: sustainability, climate resiliency, equity, planning, Webinars

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

Welcoming the 2023 KLA Summer Internship Cohort

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Jun 27, 2023 6:06:15 PM

As a small business working with local governments, the strength of KLA is in our people. Every member of our team plays a crucial role in shaping the work we do and driving positive change in the communities we work with. Our work with local governments requires the collaborative efforts of individuals across the country with different backgrounds, experiences, and fresh perspectives – so we are thrilled to be welcoming a new class of bright and talented KLA interns to our team! 

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Topics: sustainability, community engagement, climate action, equity, Core Values

5 Ways to Tap Into Your Community's Earth Day Momentum

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Apr 11, 2022 9:09:13 PM

For local governments, engaging the community is key to achieving climate goals, and Earth Day is one of the best opportunities to get people to take action. That’s especially true right now when the recent headlines – like USA Today’s "'It's now or never': UN climate report shows globe is on 'track toward an unlivable world'"-- are driving awareness and, ideally, action.

The next few weeks are when people will be searching online for ways to "go green." It's when you have the chance to convert someone looking for a one-time litter or river clean up into a regular participant in your climate programs.

Earth Day can be a springboard for climate action in your community.

But you can't do this if people need a PhD to understand the challenges your community faces and where you're headed. Or if they have to navigate a typical local government website to find the most effective actions. Don’t lose the Earth Day momentum!

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Topics: sustainability, community engagement, dashboard, resilience, earth day, KLA

Preemption: How One Word Can Stop Progress in Local Communities

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Oct 10, 2018 8:37:56 PM

Cities are fighting back against preemption to chart their own course on issues from labor standards to civil rights to environmental protection.

In August I attended the Mayors Innovation Project summer meeting in Grand Rapids where one of the most common themes in presentations and casual conversations was "preemption." So we reached out to Kim Haddow with the Local Solutions Support Center to find out more about preemption, why it has so many communities worried, and what they are doing about it.

Here is our Q&A on preemption:

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Topics: sustainability, cities, preemption

6 Ways We Help You Meet Climate + Sustainability Goals

Posted by Kim Lundgren on Oct 8, 2018 1:37:07 PM

At KLA our clients want thriving, inclusive, healthy communities. Sometimes they come to us before they kick off of a major planning process, and we partner with them throughout that journey. Other times it starts with a GHG inventory or implementing a specific grant-based project with community engagement. Still others come to us for our Community Dashboard and wind up integrating our communications support.

Regardless of the starting point, KLA has been proud to work with communities from Encinitas, CA, to Cambridge, MA, and Indianapolis, IN, West Palm Beach, FL and San Antonio, TX. Here are 6 ways we help them achieve their climate and sustainability goals.

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Topics: sustainability, KLA, cities