ILCMA Pre-conference Session Virtual Access

What’s Your Organization’s Climate on Climate Change?

Climate change, for some organizations, can feel like a daunting challenge in the here-and-now that must be addressed swiftly, but for others climate change is a problem affecting far away environments and peoples. While issues of receding glacial ice and rising sea levels may not have direct impact to many of us in Illinois, our state is not immune to the powerful and deadly effects of rising global temperatures. Municipal and county leaders must consider adapting their operations to be better prepared for more severe and sustained weather events, but additional challenges may come in the form of navigating the opinions of elected officials, employees, and the public for the imminent need for new policies. To better understand the local effects of climate change and the resources available to municipalities to combat it, a panel of practitioners and experts will provide their perspectives into what municipalities need to do immediately to prepare ourselves for an uncertain, and potentially dangerous, environmental future.

Learning Objectives
1. Attendees should walk away with action items to implement or at least a framework / new perspective on evaluating program, projects, purchases, 3-5-10-year planning.
2. How to translate the adaptation part of the Climate Action Plan into action within the context of what is currently possible.
3. Learn how state programs connect to support local governments in developing resiliency.

Presenters
Dr. Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist, Assistant Scientist, University of Illinois
Edith Makra, Director of Environmental Initiatives, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
Ben Mjolsness, Sustainability Advocate and Relationship Builder, City of Naperville
Dr. Ashish Sharma, Illinois Research Climatologist, Adjunct Professor, University of Illinois

Addresses ICMA Practice Area 6 (Strategic Leadership)

Note that this registration is for virtual access only.  If you’d prefer to attend in person you may register here:

https://registeruo.niu.edu/Ungerboeck_public/emc00/register.aspx?OrgCode=40&EvtID=18381&AppCode=REG&CC=121110811308