Climate & Environment

Since our founding in 1991, ISC has helped people bring clean air, water, and land to their communities while conserving precious resources. From the start, we set out to demonstrate that there is no need to sacrifice social or economic health for that of the environment—and that a healthy environment can bolster economic growth while supporting social goals.

In the regions in which we work, the use of antiquated technology and practices have seriously harmed people's health and contributed greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. We have found that our approach—engaging communities and building the capacity of local organizations to solve problems—is critical to addressing issues like environmental health and climate change, where a groundswell of citizen commitment is needed to have the most impact.

Today, we are helping communities, government, and businesses in Guangdong, China reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost energy efficiency, helping them reduce their impact on global warming while preserving their livelihoods. And in hurricane-damaged communities along the Gulf Coast in the United States, we are helping residents rebuild sustainably to protect their natural resources and local economies while guarding against future disasters.

In 2009 ISC launched the Climate Leadership Academy to help communities translate their commitment to reducing climate pollution into effective action. The academy is designed to accelerate the transfer of best practices and provide customized training and mentoring, including tools tailored to the specific needs of communities. Intensive two- to three-day workshops bring together teams of senior city officials and expert faculty around pressing climate-related topics such as building energy retrofits and transportation. ISC then builds on the momentum of these workshops by coordinating a virtual peer learning network, which connects all of the city teams, their challenges, and their successes.

Tangible Results

• In six years, 39 pilot municipalities in Russia reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 12,200 tons per year and saved millions of rubles. Our partner, the Fund for Sustainable Development, continues this important work with the aim of influencing practice and policy nationwide. Today, we are bringing this approach to communities in the industrial province of Guangdong, China to help them reduce climate-changing emissions while becoming energy efficient.
• Restoring environmental health is a hallmark of ISC's work in the former Soviet Union, with particularly dramatic results in the city of Nizhnii Tagil. Most recently, several Russian cities have seen dramatic improvements in children's health due to cleaner air quality: In our pilot schools, respiratory illness has decreased by 30 percent since 2002.
• We have helped establish or strengthen scores of nonprofit organizations across Central and Eastern Europe that now provide local communities with training and mentoring to address environmental problems. A strong network of environmental training centers now stretches from Hungary to the Russian Far East.

The Climate Leadership Academy

The Climate Leadership Academy offers state-of-the-art training, technical assistance and mentoring programs to help cities ramp up energy efficiency, create green jobs, and tackle climate disruption.

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The Environment, Health and Safety Academy

China's Guangdong province helped spur the nation's economic miracle and remains a powerful engine of growth, generating 11 percent of the nation's gross domestic product. With our partner, Lignan (University) College, ISC has launched a new Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Academy to expand the pool of qualified EHS managers serving factories in Guangdong Province.

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From Commitment to Action

An interview with Steve Nicholas, ISC's director of climate and environmental programs, who was previously Seattle's top sustainability officer. During his tenure, the city became an award-winning model for cities across the United States.

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Gulf Coast Sustainable Communities Network

Building on our work in Moss Point, Mississippi, we launched the Gulf Coast Sustainable Communities Network, which is helping communities make informed choices about their future. more

The Ripple Effect: Cleaner Energy, Cleaner Environment

As the morning light flickers off the Pearl River in Guangdong, China, two men in a small blue and orange boat chug downstream. One man steers while the other leans over the bow with a large net. He is scooping up garbage from the brownish water. Factories line the banks, stretching farther than the eye can see through the polluted haze.

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