EARTHDAY.ORG Joins Forces with National League of Cities and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability to Drive Climate Action at the Local Level

EARTHDAY.ORG Joins Forces with National League of Cities and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability to Drive Climate Action at Local Level

Washington, D.C. — As a part of Earth Day 2021, EARTHDAY.ORG has partnered with the National League of Cities (NLC) and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, to drive vital climate action at the local level. Many of the world’s most challenging environmental issues require solutions that start in local communities. Cities around the world are leading the way and developing innovative plans such as ordinances, city-wide strategies, public outreach and education campaigns, for a sustainable future.

For EARTHDAY.ORG’s 2021 Global Day of Conversation, NLC and ICLEI are helping to amplify the work that cities are doing all over the world to:

• Commit to mandatory climate and environmental literacy training for 100 percent of your government staff. 
• Commit to lowering your jurisdiction’s carbon emissions with a goal of lowering your emissions in half by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.
• Commit to integrating climate and environmental justice into all community decision making.

“We are honored to work with the leaders at NLC and ICLEI, leading up to Earth Day and, to ensure that cities around the nation and the world are committing to lowering carbon emissions in half by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050 as well as integrating climate and environmental justice into all community decision making,” said Terra Pascarosa, National Campaign Director, EARTHDAY.ORG. 

“Earth Day is an important moment to reflect on our relationship with nature and bring more awareness to environmental issues in our communities. This year I hope elected officials will not only lead on climate, but also allow themselves to be educated by the youth leaders and environmental justice groups who have been mobilizing and striking for more action. The solutions we need are out there if we have the courage to come together, listen, and do something different,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities (NLC).

“When Des Moines passed a resolution to make us the first city in the U.S. to strive for 24/7 clean energy, we knew it was time to push past barriers to meet the climate crisis. This bold decision will give our residents the healthy environment and local clean energy jobs they deserve. Everyone deserves these, no matter where they live. That’s why Des Moines is joining ICLEI in the Race to Zero. We will join forces as a network of local governments achieving equitable 2030 emissions reduction goals on the way to 2050 climate neutrality,” said President of ICLEI, Mayor Frank Cownie.

As a part of EARTHDAY.ORG’s digital events on April 22, Mayor Victoria Woodards of Tacoma, WA; Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities; Mayor Frank Cownie of Des Moines, Iowa and President of ICLEI; and Mayor Katja Dörner, City of Bonn, Germany; will be featured to share how their local governments are making sustainable choices and preparing their communities to combat climate change. 

For more information on Earth Day Live and Earth Day 2021, please visit: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2021/ 

For more information on EARTHDAY.ORG’s Green Cities Campaign, please visit: https://www.earthday.org/campaign/green-cities/ 

About EARTHDAY.ORG
EARTHDAY.ORG’s mission is to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Earth Day (1970), EARTHDAY.ORG is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 150,000 partners in nearly 192 countries to build environmental democracy. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. Learn more at: https://www.earthday.org

About National League of Cities
The National League of Cities (NLC) is the voice of America’s cities, towns and villages, representing more than 200 million people. NLC works to strengthen local leadership, influence federal policy and drive innovative solutions. Stay connected with NLC on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

About ICLEI
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability(known as “ICLEI”) is a global network working with more than 2500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development.Active in 125+ countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. Our Members and team of experts work together through peer exchange, partnerships and capacity building to create systemic change for urban sustainability. For more information about ICLEI, please visit: https://iclei.org/.

Press Contacts: 
EARTHDAY.ORG: Olivia Altman [email protected]
NLC: Katey Hass [email protected]
ICLEI: Sarah Ditton [email protected]