TODAY'S STUDY: WHERE THE ACTION IS, WHERE THE NEXT FIGHT HAS TO BE

California Governor Jerry Brown recently charged solar leaders with finding a way to install 12,000 megawatts of distributed solar by 2020. “Find the path through the thicket,” he told them. “On the other side we will have our solar future.”

That future, Governor Brown noted, offers investment expansion, job growth and energy security. Because solar and the other New Energies will become an essential part of California’s economy, he promised his administration will not allow them to be stopped by the technical, financial, regulatory and coordination problems they face.

“The various agencies,” Brown said, “are going to be working together” to drive growth, and if local communities or regulators block development, he said, his office will intervene because “some kinds of opposition you have to crush.”

To the point that the Obama administration has at least removed obstacles, Brown responded, “It’s not enough just to not put up hurdles. That’s a very low bar. What about getting stuff done?”

Brown talked about streamlining regulatory hurdles in California’s 58 counties and 400+ cities. “It is true when you have 38 million people,” he said, “that there’s always going to be somebody who says ‘no’ to change” and in our participatory system, “any old fool can object to anything.”

“The system has evolved tens of thousands of laws, hundreds of thousands of regulations,” Brown said. The way forward, he said, is “you have to push” because “if we let the process unfold, we’re not going to get to the goal.”

Obstruction can come from distributed political power within any of the permitting authorities, Brown said, “especially when we’re in a position of deficit instead of surplus” so “we need a centralized base of arbitrary intervention” to fight back. “Somebody has to think long term, that somebody has to have authority, and they have to exercise it.”

When that authority is exercised, New Energy industry leaders agree, the way is cleared for expansion. Where impediments remain, the New Energy economy stagnates.

As detailed in the report highlighted below, the agglomeration of distributed power in local governments across the U.S. is beginning to respond to a rising call for New Energy and Energy Efficiency from the grass roots. 90% of local governments have recycling programs. 82% are working on transportation improvements. 81% are working on cutting building energy use.

But the localities have not fixed on the bigger picture. Only 23% of local governments have policies that support New Energy, only 18% are active across the full spectrum of possibilities, only 30% have stated policies and only 20% have specific targets or goals.

To fix that bigger picture in place will be challenging. It will require the development of a majority of votes either on a diverse board of representatives or in a diverse electorate. But once that bigger picture is fixed, local officers will have the authority to take the kind of aggressive action Brown prescribed.

There are going to be winners and losers. But, Governor Brown’s tone implied and the survey detailed below affirms, progress requires taking on the fight.

Breaking New Ground: Promoting Environmental and Energy Programs in Local Government
James H. Svara, Anna Read and Evelina Moulder, Summer 2011 (IBM Center for the Business of Government)

Executive Summary

Sustainability may be “the issue of our age” but most local governments are still at a relatively early stage of addressing it. Most communities are taking some action, but the number and range of activities remain limited. Yet one government in six is setting the pace by pursuing extensive activities within a framework of goals and plans and with the discipline that comes from measuring results. Based on past experience with the spread of other local government innovations, most cities and counties will significantly increase sustainability activity in the future.

The report’s findings and action steps are based on analysis of the ICMA Local Government Sustainability Policies and Programs Survey of 2010, which examined the actions local government officials have taken so far to address the sustainability challenge, including citizen engagement that advances shared goals and changes behavior. Over 100 specific sustainability actions were measured by the survey, and these can be grouped into 12 major activity areas.

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More than four governments in five engage in some type of recycling (90%), transportation improvements (82%), and reducing building energy use (81%). On the other hand, fewer than two in five have sought to reduce energy use by altering work schedules or processes (36%) and less than a quarter support any form of alternative energy generation (23%).When working toward the full range of possible actions is considered, the average rate of adoption is only 18%. Furthermore, there are limits in the extent to which sustainability activities are integrated into coordinated strategies for action. Only three in 10 local governments have adopted a resolution stating policy goals, and only one in five have adopted a plan with specific targets or benchmarks.

City and county governments are active at similar levels, although there is some difference in their sustainability priorities. Cities, more likely to be water service providers, have a higher rating for sustainability action related to water quality and conservation. Counties, which provide more social services, are more likely to offer socially inclusive services such as programs for the elderly, children, and the homeless. Counties that cover a larger geographic area and include more land devoted to forests and farming are more likely to be involved in land conservation and use of development rights to promote sustainability goals.

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In general, several characteristics of local entities increase the likelihood that they will do more to advance sustainability. Local governments with larger populations do more than smaller governments. Local governments in the western region—California in particular—are more active than those in the rest of the country, where there is essentially the same rate of sustainability adoption. Cities and counties that use the council-manager form of government are more active than local governments with elected executives.

These generalizations aside, each individual community decides on its level of activity and how it will organize its sustainability campaign. Case studies of governments illustrate that integrated approaches are effective, regardless of region and size of localities. Key insights can be gained from both survey results and our case study portraits of Anacortes, Washington; Buncombe County, North Carolina; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Jackson, Wyoming and Teton County, Wyoming; Palo Alto, California; San Antonio, Texas; Sarasota County, Florida; Washoe County, Nevada; and Weston, Wisconsin.

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Based on the survey results and case study analysis, recommended action steps for local governments include:

• Obtaining a formal commitment from the governing board that includes goals, targets, and broad but flexible strategies that can change as progress is made

• Developing an engagement process to broaden community outreach, educate the public, and show individuals what they can do in their own lives to promote sustainability

• Appointing a citizens’ committee to engage the community, expand citizen suggestions for action, and organize community activities

• Developing partnerships with key institutional, private sector, and nonprofit actors in the community and with other local governments

• Making changes to break down silos and encourage coordinated action inside the govern¬mental organization

• Measuring performance to assess the sustainability effort

• Reporting to citizens on progress as part of a clearly branded sustainability effort that highlights shared commitments and shows how well they are being met

In the localities studied, governments put policy goals into action and lead by example. They offer citizens visible examples of the positive difference that can be made by close analysis of how the community lives and how organizations operate. Governments can learn from each other when innovative new approaches are being adopted. The case studies demonstrate how broad, integrated campaigns can offer examples of how to incorporate the principles and practices of sustainability.

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Introduction

Building a sustainable community requires contributions from all levels of government, all sectors of the economy, and all of the citizenry. Because local governments provide services that affect the allocation and use of resources—from transportation and solid waste collection to zoning and land use—they are uniquely positioned to promote sustainability through policy and program initiatives. The ICMA Local Government Sustainability Policies and Programs Survey of 2010 represents a major effort to examine actions taken by elected officials and administrators to address the sustainability challenge and to better understand how these localities work with citizens as partners to advance shared goals and change behavior…

This report presents the general patterns of sustainability adoption in areas including environmental protection, reduced energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and others. Eight active local governments are examined in more depth to clarify what goes into a comprehensive strategy and what it can accomplish. The local governments selected represent a range of population sizes and geographic locations. The report describes how progress can be measured and reported, and includes observations based on the survey results, case studies, and anecdotal information, highlighting what other governments can do to expand their sustainability efforts.

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The level of support for sustainability varies widely across local governments and even, to a lesser extent, in the case study communities described in this report. Whereas strong public backing can drive an ambitious program that is justified in terms of the full range of sustainability concerns, weak public opinion or focus on a narrow range of priorities present a dilemma for local government. Some of the arguments made to support sustainability are contested concepts, and it is likely that in some places local government regulations for residents or businesses will be countered by advocates of small, non-intrusive government.

To reach the widest audience with non-controversial information, several case study governments examined for this report stress saving resources and reducing costs as the primary justification for their sustainability programs. City Manager Michael Willis, who moved from a high-commitment city in Australia to a low-commitment city in England, decided that the local government “could offer a positive example and not just empty proselytizing” when the public is lukewarm about taking on sustainability.2 The appropriate approach, he concluded, was “to work from the inside out, rather than the outside in … ” It is significant that several of the most active case study communities examined still emphasize the message of leading by example. They are being true to their convictions by changing their own actions and walking the talk. Furthermore, these communities offer residents visible examples of the positive difference that can be made by examining how we live and how we operate our organizations.

The sustainability actions of local governments, limited and fledgling in many places and broad and ambitious among the early innovators, share a common purpose—to make changes now that will enhance the quality of life for future generations.

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Survey Summary

Local Government Sustainability Policies and Programs, 2010

The survey was developed with the input of ICMA’s Center for Sustainable Communities, the Center for Urban Innovation, Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability (ASU GIOS), the Alliance for Innovation, and others. Survey distribution was conducted through a collaboration of ICMA, ASU GIOS and the Sustainable Cities Network, a multi-jurisdictional partnership. The survey was provided in a print format because the response rate is both higher and more scientifically representative than for an electronic survey.

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The survey was sent to 8,569 local governments. The survey response rate is 25.4%, with 2,176 local governments responding. The summary below shows the percentage reporting to each item.The highest percentages are in bold. There are notable variations in the results by population size and geographic division; more populous areas, and those in the West, are more actively pursuing sustainability...