Net-Zero Cities Event Videos
The Future of Small Cities Institute and Climate Now co-hosted an exciting event series on equitable pathways to creating Net-Zero Cities with Climate Now. The City of Ithaca was our case study, and over the course of three events at Cornell, The FOCUS Lab, and Yale, we explored who would benefit from equitable decarbonization, how we will do, and how we will pay for this decarbonization.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN ITHACA?
The City of Ithaca is the first in the United States working to decarbonize 100% of its buildings by 2030. Roughly 6,000 homes and buildings will evaluated and reconstructed as needed so that they no longer rely on fossil fuel-based systems for heating, cooling, and electric appliances, which are all big drivers of energy use.
THREE SUCCESSFUL EVENTS ROOTED IN COLLABORATION
Climate Now convened key pillars of Ithaca’s robust community on an engaging journey about the city’s climate change and economic equality goals. With over 800 in-person and virtual registrants, Ithaca made its mark to advance climate education and collective impact.
How Do We Achieve Sustainable Prosperity?, discussed what skills are needed to retrofit all of Ithaca’s buildings and critical elements of climate justice
How Do We Make The Electric City of the Future?, discussed the technologies needed to electrify an entire city’s built environment without leaving low-income populations behind during the transition
How Do We Finance The Net-Zero City?, discussed what kinds of funding sources exist to support a city’s clean energy transition and financing a path to net-zero
FEATURED EXPERTS AND LEADERS
Sponsors: Yale Center for Business and the Environment, Connecticut Green Bank and BlocPower
Speakers and Panelists:
James Lawler, Climate Now
Reif Larsen, Future of Small Cities Institute
Dr. Luis Aguirre-Torres, City of Ithaca
Rebecca Evans, City of Ithaca
Dr. Neha Khanna, Binghampton University and Cornell University
Dr. Aigbokhan Aloja Airewele, Green Energy Workforce Training Center
Sue Dougherty, NYSERDA
Cullen Kasunic, BlocPower
Joanne Coons, Hudson Valley Community College
Joe Evans, Kresge Foundation
Dr. Rob Klee, Yale University
Bryan Garcia, Connecticut Green Bank