Category: Climate Appropriate Economy

Energy Policy: Democratizing Energy Systems

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The policies below were gathered from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR):

GOAL:  Democratize Energy Systems

  • CLEAN Programs (Feed-In Tarriffs)
  • Community Choice Aggregation (Community Purchasing Pools)
  • Plan for distributed energy generation (Energy Overlay Zones)
  • Support ethanol and biodiesel production on a local scale
  • Community based energy development

More information:

Examples:

 

Climate Adaptation Policy: Increasing Community Resiliency

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The policies below were gathered from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR):

GOAL: Increase Community Resiliency

  • Mission-based procurement policy
  • Compost procurement policy
  • Technical assistance and business development for key sectors

More information and examples:

Climate Change Policy: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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The policies below were gathered from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR):

GOAL: Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

  • Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement
  • Carbon taxes and caps with universal dividends
  • Solar initiative program

More information and examples:

Banking Policy: Reconnecting Capital with Community

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The policies below were gathered from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR):

GOAL: Reconnect Capital with Community

  • Increase access to capital for local businesses
  • Move public funds into local banks
  • Ban ATM surcharges

More information:

Examples:

Why Policy Work?

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From BALLE:

Sometimes it isn’t enough to change the way you play. Sometimes you have to change the game itself, and the Localist movement is re-writing the rules that govern economic systems from the grassroots up.

By drafting, advocating for and implementing policy, a broad cross-section of entrepreneurs, policymakers, economic development professionals and community members are transforming the legal structures that undergird the economy. New rules are needed to put an end to corporate subsidies and instead reward benefit corporations, mission-based procurement, investment in health, minimum wages, rights of nature, smart land-use planning and better public transportation.

Opportunity: Promote a Local Climate Appropriate Economy

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From City of Keene’s Climate Adaptation Plan

GOAL: Support environmentally sustainable businesses and economy.

Targets:

  • Review and rewrite zoning code and land development regulations in five years to include sustainable building materials, design, and energy conservation measures.
  • Provide incentives for businesses to locate in Keene that produce sustainable and environmentally friendly products or that utilize sustainable principles in their production processes.
  • Create an Economic Development Coordinator position within the City.

GOAL: Increase the vitality and competitiveness of local business.

Targets:

  • Identify economic development policies and goals that incorporate sustainability; then seek out businesses that meet those goals.
  • Support business incubators to bolster local business development that provides “niche” services or products that are environmentally friendly.
  • Provide assistance in the creation or identification of markets for sustainable businesses or their products.
  • Create a media package that invites target companies to locate in Keene and highlights Keene’s commitment to the environment and sustainability.
  • Create a way-finding system to increase ease of movement and access to key areas (e.g. downtown, evacuation routes, warm/cool shelters) of the City via alternative transportation modes and prioritize clearing of these paths in the event of emergencies.