The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2022

28 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL What Is ICLEI? ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability, which was founded in 1990 as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, is a network of local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development that advances international goals and holds leaders accountable for planning, action and reporting. The organization is committed to solving the world’s most intractable sustainability challenges. The standards, tools and programs offered by ICLEI provide credibility, transparency and robustness to communities that have committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the lives and livelihoods and protect natural resources in the communities the organization serves. Des Moines’ partnership with ICLEI Global and ICLEI USA has been instrumental as we navigate the pandemic and work to move our city’s climate action forward. The staff at ICLEI USA has provided planning resources and technical expertise to maintain momentum in the face of logistical, technical and political challenges. ICLEI rep- resents the voice of countless subnational governments around the globe. Foreign Service professionals can look toward ICLEI, and the local governments that participate as members, as a resource for ideas; as partners in progress; and as passionate leaders in the fight to address climate change and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. —Frank Cownie they can drive more corporate, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and government partners to join this compact. A focus on 24/7 carbon-free energy can transform energy generation and delivery around the world and provide accountability and clarity toward howmuch progress we are making in the transition to clean energy in line with global agreements. With somany cities on the rise in emerging countries around the world, there is an opportunity to solve problems the right way from the start, to learn fromboth the successes andmistakes of other cities, and to lead with innovation and grassroots initiatives. ICLEI can provide feedback and insight to Foreign Service profes- sionals about programs, projects and initiatives that we’ve already implemented. We can share the successes we’ve achieved and the challenges we’ve faced so that your teams can offer better insights and guidance for policy and programs and developing nations can, in turn, achieve success, ideally at a faster pace than we’ve accomplished so far. We know that our efforts toward sustainability make the biggest impact when subnational, national and international governing bodies all work together, but we also know that we need the right tools to act. ICLEI provides easily accessible toolkits and technical guidance to help communities get started addressing sustainability and climate challenges. Foreign Service professionals should work to understand these tools, and the uniform reporting require- ments most local governments have committed to, so that they can adapt policies and tools tomeet the needs of ICLEI members to address our climate change commitments. Nationally these include the Biden administration’s targets to achieve 100 percent carbon-pollution-free electricity by 2035, and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Internationally, goals and targets have been identified through the Paris Agreement and subsequent U.N. Cli- mate Change Conferences, most recently COP26 in Glasgow. Connecting with and garnering support fromAmericans is critical to successfully implementing a national climate strategy. Many of our community members throughout the country, and especially in the Midwest, have little if any engagement with city- based think tanks and the ideas they offer. But achieving a future free of fossil fuels and emissions doesn’t make good sense only for metropolitan areas. It can drive new economic growth and strengthen local social systems and support networks in all places, even rural Iowa. Being able to partner with NGOs and multilateral institutions more directly, the State Department can open oppor- tunities for local governments to guide investments from, say, the International Food Policy Research Institute or the International Renewable Energy Agency into our neighborhoods, into good- paying local jobs, into more resilient infrastructure. real and present threat and will become more frequent. And, as a cascading effect, there will be more requests from foreign entities for the U.S. diplomatic service to address climate change. U.S. diplomats are the front line of America’s civilian presence abroad. Members of the Foreign Service have sway in influencing the global dialogue over climate, disaster recovery and refugee resettlement. That is as crucial as ever if America is to be regarded as a climate leader in the 21st century. Leveraging Local Voices As president of ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) Global, I am committed to working with leaders around the globe to leverage the voices of local governments, and the communities they serve, to combat climate change and to enable the transition to a cleaner future. I’ve joined Google, the Government of Iceland and other global partners in the United Nations’ 24/7 Carbon- Free Energy Compact. I encourage our diplomats to consider how