About Cool Cities Milestones

The milestones and their sub-items help guide your campaign through steps which will make it successful. Check off the items when they are complete and the milestones when you believe it is reached. Make sure to keep these up to date by checking items that are done to let the support team know how best to support you. Not every item will be necessary for every city but it's best to do as many as possible!

MILESTONE #1: ESTABLISH COOL CITIES CAMPAIGN

This city has an established group of local citizens who are committed to reducing global warming emissions in their city.

Sub-steps:

  • Convene a Cool Cities campaign team of 3-7 activist volunteers
  • Write a city profile on the Cool Cities website

MILESTONE #2: ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY

At this stage, the local Cool Cities campaign is building support for their mayor to sign the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement. By working with other community groups, generating letters to the mayor, raising the issue in the media, and talking to neighbors, the local Cool Cities campaign is building support for local action.

Sub-steps:

  • Create a Campaign Plan
  • Generate at least 5 citizen letters, Op-Ed and three letters-to-the editor
  • Give a Cool Cities presentation to at least three local community groups
  • Send a formal letter to Mayor, co-signed by 2+ partner community groups requesting the mayor to sign

MILESTONE #3: MUNICIPALITY SIGNS COMMITMENT AGREEMENT

A municipality has reached this milestone when the mayor officially signs the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement (resolution, sign-on form), US Cool Counties Agreement (resolution, executive order) or joins the Canadian Partners for Climate Protection (resolution). This commits the municipality to significantly reducing its global warming emissions by doing a community-wide emissions inventory, action plan and ongoing monitoring.

Sub-steps:

  • Meet with mayor along with 1 to 3 community groups to discuss becoming a Cool City
  • Mayor/Supervisor signs and submits the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, Cool Counties Agreement or Canadian Partners for Climate Protection

MILESTONE #4: IMPLEMENTING INITIAL SOLUTION STEPS

This milestone focuses on turning the municipality's commitment into action. Here the municipality is implementing beginning steps to improve its own operations. These steps build expertise for putting in place robust solutions in the next phase.

Sub-steps:

  • Municipality establishes committee to create local climate action plan
  • Hold a media event applauding your mayor or supervisor's commitment
  • Municipality initiates early implementation actions (e.g. energy efficient light bulbs at city offices)
  • Municipality performs an audit of municipal operations
  • Municipality establishes action plan for municipal operations

MILESTONE #5: IMPLEMENTING ADVANCED SMART ENERGY SOLUTIONS

The final milestone focuses on turning the municipality's commitment into action. At this stage, the municipality is adopting policies that significantly reduce global warming emissions, lower energy bills, and make the city a cleaner place to live. By investing in smart energy solutions, such as green buildings, fuel efficient city fleets, and powering homes with renewable energy, these cities are becoming Cool Cities.

Sub-steps:

  • Municipality performs community-wide "global warming audit"
  • Municipality completes climate action plan with specific solutions to meet target reductions & timeline of Climate Agreement
  • Municipality adopts energy efficiency policies (e.g. energy efficient street lights, green building standards)
  • Municipality adopts green vehicles policy (e.g. purchases hybrid vehicles for city fleet)
  • Municipality adopts other global warming reduction policies (e.g. no-idling, Energy Star appliance purchasing)
  • Municipality adopts renewable energy policies (e.g. buys "green" power, installs solar panels or wind turbines)
  • Municipality adopts transit and land-use improvements
  • Municipality supports state action to reduce greenhouse gasses (e.g. net metering)
  • Municipality publishes annual report tracking city's progress in meeting its climate protection goals
  • Mayor or supervisor champions action on global warming at state and national levels