The Professional Fellows program promotes local government partnerships, establishes networks and international relationships, and leads to creativity in identifying locally appropriate solutions for creating more sustainable communities within the panorama of a changing climate. The program receives financial assistance from ECA under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as amended. For additional information about the program, see the website for the Office of Citizen Exchanges at the State Department. Visit the ICMA website for information about ICMA’s Center for Sustainable Communities, and see the "Air, Climate, Water" topic area in the Knowledge Network.

1. US State
Department
Climate Change exchange
by Paul Chambers

2. Special thanks to the United States (US) State Department, the City of Palo Alto Council,
International City/County Management Association (ICMA), New Zealand Society of Local
Government Managers (SOLGM) and United Nations (UN). In particular I would like to thank
Auckland Council for allowing me the opportunity through SOLGM to participate in the US
State Department’s Professional Fellows Program.
I would individually like to thank from the City of Palo Alto Council, James Keen, Pamela Antil,
Greg Betts, Tommy Fehrenbach and Debra van Duynhoven; from New Zealand, Blair Dickie and
Lyndal Jefferies for your support and friendship.
I would like to say a big thank you to Conrad Flinkenberg (SOLGM), Tad, Lauren and ICMA – the
programme is so well organised, and I thank you for this wonderful opportunity.
Acknowledgements
32

3. Introduction
In early October 2011, the ICMA members and
their staff hosted fourteen Climate Change Fellows
from four Asian/Pacific countries as part of a two
way exchange with US professionals. Countries
represented were China (two), Indonesia (six),
Australia (three), and New Zealand (three).
The exchange was made possible by a grant to ICMA
from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
(ECA) of the US Department of State as part of the
State Department’s Professional Fellows Program.
The programme receives financial assistance from
ECA under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of
1961, as amended.
As the Sustainability Manager for Auckland Council,
Paul Chambers was the New Zealand representative
from Auckland Council, and leads the council’s
organisation-wide corporate, community and
business sustainability efforts, which encompasses
environmental consideration, financial efficiency,
social responsibility and community involvement.
Activities include programme development and
implementation, analysis, reporting and compliance,
as well as other related responsibilities to foster
and develop sustainability and social responsibility
throughout the council’s operations.
This report outlines his experience of the US State
Department's Climate Change Fellows Program.To
provide context to the report the purpose of the US
State Dept professional exchange programme has
been outlined; the places organised by the ICMA
briefly profiled; the role of the Auckland Council and
the information presented throughout the exchange
on the cities aspirations with regards to being the
most liveable city in the world; the City of Palo Alto
Council and business innovation in clean technology
and the US State Dept Professional Fellows
conference.After the exchange, time was spent in
New York meeting with the United Nations.
For additional information about the programme,
see the website for the Office of Citizen Exchanges
at the State Department.
Paul Chambers
Contents
1. Introduction P5
2. US State Department
Climate Change Fellows Exchange P6
3. Auckland P8
4. United States P12
5. San Francisco P18
6. Palo Alto P20
7. Innovation P22
8. Washington P26
9. New York P27
10. Conclusion P28
54

4. The Professional Fellows programme promotes local
government partnerships, establishes networks and
international relationships, and leads to creativity in
identifying locally appropriate solutions for creating
more sustainable communities within the panorama
of a changing climate.
All the Professional Fellows are responsible for, or
were able to demonstrate an interest in, climate
change mitigation measures or sustainability.The
programme’s goal is to provide professional learning
experiences for local government decision makers
who have experience and interest in local governance
and the creation of more sustainable communities.
Visit the ICMA website (www. icma.org) for
information about ICMA’s Center for Sustainable
Communities, and see the "Air, Climate,Water” topic
area in the Knowledge Network.
The overall objectives of the programme are to:
Provide opportunities for professional development
and cultural exchange during a four-week fellowship
in the United States.
• Provide up to four fellows from the United
States the opportunity to take part in a
reciprocal experience with their counterparts in
New Zealand
• Develop and implement a long-term plan of
engagement between exchange fellows and
other local governance stakeholders that will
continue after the grant programme has ended
• Promote partnerships on climate change and
sustainable communities at local governance
and community levels between key local
government practitioners and professional
associations in the United States and their
counterparts in other countries
• Actively engage the fellows in exploring local
government policies and adaptation strategies
for dealing with climate risks and for creating
more sustainable communities
98
• Increase opportunities for local government
professionals to network and develop solutions
for impending climate risks by helping
them create more sustainable and resilient
communities
• Offer an opportunity to connect international
local government leaders and potential leaders
with city and county managers and other
local government practitioners, non-profit
organisations and state and federal agencies in
the United States
• Promote local government partnerships,
establish networks and international
relationships
• Creatively identify locally appropriate solutions
for creating more sustainable communities
within the panorama of a changing climate.
US State Department –
Climate Change Fellows Exchange
Climate change fellows Washington monument

5. therefore, employs best practice sustainability
approaches to lead by example by working
collaborately with the council’s supply chain to
achieve sustainable procurement for whole-of-life
approach, best practice design and operation of the
council’s property portfolio. By leading by example,
the council will facilitate a wider change to a greener
economy in Auckland contributing to the aspiration
to be at the forefront of sustainable cities worldwide.
Auckland’s challenge is to play its part in national
and international efforts to reverse the trend
of rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.The
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development’s (OECD) Economic Survey of New
Zealand report (OECD 2011) identifies that New
Zealand’s GHG intensity of output is the second
highest in the OECD (after Australia) and that New
Zealand is a pioneer in planning the implementation
of an emissions trading scheme that covers all
sectors and gases.Auckland Council recognizes this,
and the Draft Auckland Plan has a target of reducing
GHG emissions by 40 percent by 2031 based on
1990 levels.
A preliminary estimation of Auckland’s emissions
indicates that Auckland accounts for approximately
14.5 per cent of New Zealand’s total (gross) GHG
emissions. Auckland’s emissions profile is relatively
unique when compared to the rest of New Zealand.
Auckland’s two largest sources of emissions are
stationary energy for manufacturing and industrial
purposes and transport, which combined are
estimated to account for two thirds of Auckland
emissions. In comparison, a far larger proportion of
New Zealand’s emissions are methane (32 per cent)
and nitrous oxide (15 per cent) from agriculture.
For the rest of New Zealand, transport accounts for
approximately 20 per cent of total emissions.
Between 1990 and 2009 Auckland’s total (gross)
emissions increased by 16.4 per cent. By comparison,
New Zealand’s total (gross) emissions increased
19.5 per cent over the same period.This long-
term national trend is largely due to growth in
energy emissions, particularly from electricity
generation (a 91 per cent increase), transport (a 70
per cent increase) and agriculture (a 12 per cent
increase). Between 2006 and 2009 New Zealand’s
total emissions have been decreasing due to the
widespread drought in 2008 and a weaker economy
affecting the two largest sectors, agriculture and
energy.
Projections suggest a further increase in Auckland
emissions of 37% by 2031 (39% on 1990 levels)
based on a simplistic model of applying current
consumption levels to projected population and
economic growth.
Auckland’s stunning natural environment,
mild climate, diverse peoples and recreational
opportunities ensure its place among the best cities
in the world for quality of life. It is consistently
ranked in the top five places to live in Mercer’s
Quality of Living survey, ranking third in 2011.
Sophisticated urban neighbourhoods are close to
the countryside, beaches, forests and offer many
lifestyles and activities.
Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city. It is home
to 33 percent of the national population and is
New Zealand’s main commercial, industrial and
educational center.This makes it the most popular
destination for new migrants, and New Zealand’s
primary gateway to the Pacific and Asia.
Auckland Council
Auckland Council came into being in November
2010 and was the most significant amalgamation
of local governments in New Zealand’s history.
Comprised of a mix of city and district councils and
a regional council, eight organsations were merged
into one very large unitary authority. Not only is the
Auckland Council unique in New Zealand, it is now
the largest local body in Australasia, representing
over 1.5 million people.
Auckland
The council has two decision-making parts: a)
a governing body consisting of a mayor and 20
councillors, and b) 21 local boards made up of 149
members.The governing body focuses on issues,
decisions and strategies affecting the whole region,
while local boards represent their communities and
make decisions on local issues.
Sustainability Team
The most popular definition of sustainable
development is development that meets the needs
of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs. At
the local level, this is about saving environmental
resources, providing a good quality of life for all and
developing a healthy economy. Local governments
can contribute to sustainable development in many
different ways. By providing good public transport;
safe drinking water; promoting energy efficiency and
renewable energy; by diverting waste to landfills;
supporting sustainable eco–economies; by involving
its citizens in the planning or land use and design;
by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; providing
resilience in food and energy supplies; and planning
for the long term future.
Auckland Council demonstrates international
sustainable best practices through its plans, policies,
and leading by example. Its sustainability team
Auckland skyline
98

6. The projected increases in Auckland’s GHG emissions
are expected to be strongly driven by Auckland’s fast
growing population and associated development,
and an economy, urban form and lifestyle which
are based on high energy consumption - especially
transport and electricity.
As a result the council’s target to reduce GHG
emissions by 40 per cent by 2031 equates to a 57
per cent reduction in total net emissions relative to
2009 emission levels if we build in projected gross
regional product and population growth by 2031.
This represents an emissions target of 2.7tCO2e
per capita which is comparable to targets for other
leading international cities.
Energy use and climate change are closely related.
In Auckland, electricity use and transport are the
primary emitters of greenhouse gases. In 2009
Auckland’s energy use was approximately 33
Terrawatt hours. It is estimated that Auckland’s
energy demand will increase by about 65% by 2031.
The region’s growth projections imply that without
long-term energy and GHG management it will
inevitably become increasingly reliant on imported
energy supplies and be vulnerable to increases in the
cost of energy and a price on carbon under the New
Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme.
Projections undertaken on behalf of council
suggested that by 2031 the Auckland region could
be spending 10 per cent of its gross regional product
on energy, which is nearly double current levels. It is
estimated that Aucklanders currently spend around
$5 billion per year on energy (excluding GST and
metering charges).Average household expenditure
on energy is around 17% of total household income.
Future increases in household energy consumption
and/or energy prices present the very real risk of
increasing the number of Aucklanders experiencing
fuel poverty.
Auckland can stabilise and reverse the trend of
accelerated increases in emissions by moving from a
fossil fuel dependent, high energy-using, high-waste
society to one that conserves energy and resources
and minimizes waste.An immediate priority for
Auckland Council is to investigate the viability of
solar energy opportunities for water heating and
electricity generation.
Auckland Council is investigating solar hot water
opportunities for Auckland residents and businesses
with a pilot study. In 2012, the Solar Auckland pilot
will offer 250 solar hot water systems to households
and businesses at competitive commercial rates
by subcontracting the work to solar hot water
suppliers in accordance with the council’s technical
specifications.
The sustainability team has also embarked on an
ambitious program to reduce organisation-wide
corporate emissions by establishing a carbon
management tool to monitor emissions and has
implemented a state of the art energy management
system, utilising real time meters for 56 of its major
sites, to identify electricity, gas and water efficiency
savings in its council buildings.The council also
has a zero waste aspiration and has a target of 30
percent reduction in waste by 2018.This mirrors
targets set for the region in the council's Draft Waste
Management and Minimisation Plan.
This will be achieved through staff engagement and
employment of best practice waste minimisation
and diversion techniques including employing in-situ
composting in council buildings to treat organic
waste arising within each council building.
A range of environmental and resource efficiency
measures will be managed by an ISO14001
compliant environmental management system,
which will ensure continual improvement of the
transition to a lower carbon council organisation.
The sustainability team has worked on a range
of Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD)
benchmarks for new buildings and has drawn
inspiration from the green building code Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design and the Living
Building Challenge. By striving for best practice, the
council aims to lead by example and inspire other
Auckland businesses and organisations to transition
to a sustainable eco-economy.
Future vision
Sustainability is much more than simply economic
and resource efficiency. It also takes into account a
much broader vision of social and cultural wellbeing
of people and the biosphere.The future vision of a
greener Auckland is one where its waterways and
coastlines are cleaner and healthier.Where the
region is recognised for its clean air, low rates of
water consumption, low greenhouse gas emissions,
stringent sustainability criteria for urban development
and stewardship of its natural environment. Many
Aucklanders prefer to use public transport or
telecommuting working relations, the energy supply is
sustainably sourced and resilient, and households are
energy efficient.The city is well endowed with tree-
lined streets, and has networks of parks and protected
areas with native bush and wetlands.
Much of the work is still to be done to realise and
agree on how to achieve this vision. My exchange to
the U.S. included presenting what is planned to the
executive team of City of Palo Alto Council and to
the U.S. State Dept Professional Fellows conference
in Washington DC.The expectation was that a closer
understanding would be gained on what America is
doing to prepare and to mitigate against the global
threat of climate change.
Auckland Harbour10
VIDEO

7. Introduction
Local government can have a major positive
influence on businesses and internationalisation
through its network of international partner
cities.The Auckland Council is engaged in formal
relationships with 19 partner cities and countries
worldwide.These relationships are with some of
New Zealand’s most important trading partners
including Australia, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, the
Pacific Islands and the United States.These networks
offer significant opportunities for closer economic
relations, and provide a conduit for Auckland and
New Zealand businesses and sectors to form closer
connections with our current and future markets for
goods and services.To ensure Auckland is globally
connected and engaged, the council is building
alliances with international cities and networks.
The Auckland Council and the New Zealand
government wish to accelerate the capacity for
businesses to innovate sustainably. Eco-innovation
can be fostered across a range of sectors by hosting
and collaborating with businesses, organisations and
research institutions to build sustainable innovation
capabilities and develop a strong eco-economy
based on them.Targeting sustainability-orientated
sectors to help grow their market share and to
improve the city’s international competitiveness are
key elements of this strategy.
In conjunction with key stakeholders,Auckland
Council will seek opportunities to deliver catalytic
projects that fast-track the adoption of new and
emerging low carbon technologies.We will promote
and support the development of low energy
and energy self-sufficiency zones, and identify
opportunities to advance business sustainability
solutions and support demonstration projects that
illustrate sustainable innovation and value (e.g.
showcasing sustainability initiatives that could be
implemented by the Auckland Council and its council
controlled organisations).
Auckland will benefit from the strategic alignment
of fusing innovation and sustainability.As part of the
Auckland Waterfront redevelopment, a 3.6 hectare
site has been identified as a potential location
for an Innovation Precinct in Wynyard Quarter
that, within 20 years, will be a major Asia-Pacific
hub and showcase of innovation in the high-tech
industries. It will create, attract and grow world-class
research, talent and technology-based ventures.The
innovation precinct is also an enabling technology /
platform for serving all the key strategic sectors.
Global International Affairs
The United States is taking a leading role in
addressing climate change mitigation with a
wide range of initiatives to reduce emissions low-
carbon technologies.The international community
recognises the importance of moving forward
collaboratively in addressing climate change to
mitigate actions in order to cut greenhouse gas
emissions.The U.S State Department plans to
integrate climate change adaptation considerations
into both its operations and those around the
world.Through establishing and maintain a dialogue
with interagency partners in order to exchange
information on operational challenges and solutions
related to the management of climate impact.The
Department also intends to work domestically and
overseas with local and diplomatic communities,
along with other international institutions, to further
facilitate and promote exchanges on operational
best practices in response to climate impact.
With the view to fostering innovation, sustainability
and global international relationships, the U.S.
Professional Fellows Exchange Programme provide
professional learning experiences through meeting
with the advanced sustainable practices and thinking
of California and the U.S. State Department. Prior
to the exchange the sustainability team had a
meeting and discussion with Reta Jo Lewis, the
U.S. Department of States Special Representative
for Global International Affairs. Reta Jo Lewis was
in Auckland attending the Pacific Leader’s Forum,
and provided a useful context to the opportunities
from the Forum in clean technology and the U.S.
State Departments role in the Region. From the
connections made, the U.S. Professional Fellows
Exchange Programme has provided the opportunity
to develop a long-term plan of engagement between
myself and key stakeholders that will continue after
the grant program between key local government
practitioners and professional associations in the
United States and their counterparts in other
countries.
Impressions of USA
In North America, it was clear that climate change
mitigation through innovative clean technology,
alternative transport options and green building
design was well developed in the main cities of
Washington DC, San Francisco, San Jose and New
York.That the United States was taking a leading
role in addressing climate change mitigation.
The ICMA arranged for the climate change exchange
group of fourteen to be based in Bethesda, a very
relaxed and well healed Maryland commute into the
Capitals downtown.The first impressions of the US
have therefore all been positive, as Washington DC
was a joy to visit and explore on foot and utilising
the excellent, modern, simple and clean metro
service.The impression of Americans the fellows met
United States Bay wetlands
1312

8. in the Capital was that they were without exception
well educated, polite and a pleasure to be around.This
theme continued throughout the exchange, with the
overwhelming feeling being that the American people
were polite, considerate and humble.
The ICMA provide the fellows with an overview
of the inherent complexity of Federal and State
governance, which was invaluable in the climate
of the growing urgency to manage environmental
protection and economic resilience.The trips in
Maryland and presentations on the governance
structure in the U.S. was invaluable in preparation
for the two week exchange in the City of Palo Alto.
The experiences and knowledge gained though the
US State Departments Climate Change Fellows
exchange will be highly valuable as the challenges
and opportunities of climate change responses are
implemented in the next decades.Additionally, some
of the learnings from the site visits, meetings and
briefings are directly relevant to my current projects.
This includes the work being undertaken in Auckland
regarding decarbonisation of energy supply sources
for both stationary energy and transport energy
and initiatives to reduce energy consumption, and
carbon sequestration.An analysis of the Auckland’s
emissions abatement potential shows that climate
change policy options could reduce emissions by
38.5 per cent below 1990 levels.The council’s GHG
reduction target is considered to be achievable and
would establish Auckland amongst global leaders
in terms of emissions reduction. Many of these
innovative solutions have, and are, being developed
in Palo Alto and in Northern California.
The Professional Fellows Exchange implies
reciprocity.There are a couple of elements to this;
the first is short term and the second in ongoing.
In March 2012, James Keene, the City Manager at
Palo Alto Council will be coming to New Zealand
to complete the exchange. A draft itinerary has
been prepared which will see Jim in four locations,
jointly hosted by the Auckland Council and the
Waikato Regional Council. Jim will also be visiting
with SOLGM staff in Wellington and as he has
expressed an interest in earthquake recovery (Palo
Alto is situated on the other side of the Pacific
tectonic plate to New Zealand and is a high hazard
earthquake area). It is proposed that Jim will visit
with Christchurch City as well. The timing of his
visit to New Zealand is provisionally from 12 to 24
March 2012.
The ongoing actions will be to develop and maintain
a network of exchange fellows in order to continue
the learning and sharing of ideas for developing
community solutions to impending climate risks.
City of Palo Alto
Clean technology and green economic development
through public private partnerships are apparent in
California and the City of Palo Alto can lay claim
to be one of the nation's greenest cities.The city
has a total area of 25.8 square miles (67 square
kilometres). 23.9 square miles (62 square kilometres)
of it is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 square
kilometres or 7.38%) is water.
What impressed me about Palo Alto was the
Community Environmental Action Partnership, a
collaborative citywide initiative, which engages the
various segments of the Palo Alto community to
identify opportunities and create and implement
sustainable environmental solutions. Each segment
takes on projects which the committee as a whole
supports in various ways.The level of community
engagement in local concerns and politics has been
a real eye opener.“Yes” to waste to energy,“no” to
loosing park land,“yes” to responsible fiscal policy,
and “yes” to green energy all posted in resident’s
gardens, often with neighbours sitting on opposite
sides of the fence on important issues.
The people of Palo Alto were exceedingly polite,
even the drivers appear to have an understanding
of pedestrian and cyclists needs.The cycling
infrastructure was exceptional, the footpaths well
signed and the whole experience of using the
public transport in the U.S. was a real pleasure, with
the trains, trams, light rail, ferries...all clean, well
maintained and on time.The city's flat terrain and
quiet tree-shady streets made for excellent and safe
cycling. Palo Alto pioneered the bicycle boulevard
concept in the 1970s, even removing stop signs and
providing a bicycle bridge.
This collaborative approach is apparent with the
construction of Mitchell Park Library & Community
Center.You can view the site using the Mitchell Park
webcam, which is a live feed. Mitchell Park Library
and Community Center will be designed to meet the
U.S. Green Building Council’s “Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design” (LEED) Gold certification.
While it is not possible to outline in detail all the
innovations the City of PaloAlto is engaged in, I have
outlined some of their environmental innovations.This
naturally follows onto the innovations from business in
the area and the economic development opportunities
from the green economy of SiliconValley.
Mitchell Park webcam
(link to the site)
Palo Alto 1514

9. Annapolis
Baltimore
Chesapeake Bay
Hart-Miller Island
Baltimore
Annapolis
During their first week in the United States, the
group visited ICMA headquarters in Washington,
D.C.While they were in the D.C. area, ICMA member
Robert Agee, former city administrator in Annapolis,
Maryland, arranged a site visit to Annapolis, where
the group learned about the Chesapeake Bay, historic
preservation, and storm water management as they
contribute to the creation of a sustainable city.The
trip included a tour of the U.S. Naval Academy, a
“must” on any visit to Annapolis. I was bowled over
by the beauty of the architecture in Annapolis, it
reminded me of England, Scotland and Ireland, all
combined and then reinvented in the US style.
Chesapeake Bay
The Philip Merrill Environmental Center in
Chesapeake Bay was a wonderful LEED platinum
building. (www.savethebay.cdf.org )
Hart-Miller Bay
The visit to the Bay included a tour of Hart Miller
Island, site of a reclamation project in the water
east of Baltimore.The Port of Baltimore is being
dredged to accommodate large oceangoing vessels,
including new mega ships that will soon be coming
through a widened Panama Canal.The dredge
material is being used to restore island habitat that
has been gradually degraded over the years through
erosion, rising water levels, and unsustainable uses.
Hart Miller Island is located at the mouths of Back
River and Middle River, where they empty into the
Chesapeake Bay east of the City of Baltimore in
Maryland. It was formerly two separate islands, Hart
Island and Miller Island, but it is now almost entirely
artificial, and is being filled with dredged material
from Baltimore's harbour by the U.S.Army Corps
of Engineers. It is now in use as Hart- Miller Island
State Park, accessible only by boat.The reclaimed
Hart-Miller islands' 11km of dredged contaminated
spoil. It really brought home to me how damaged
our fragile earth has become through unfettered
industrial development.The up-side was the
spectacular birdlife on the manmade wetlands.
Baltimore
I thought Baltimore was also a very interesting place,
especially the low socio-economic districts and the
waterfront redevelopment.The group heard about
the continuing redevelopment of Baltimore’s Inner
Harbor, got a bird’s-eye view from the observation
deck of the city’s World Trade Center, and learned
from the director of state planning how decisions
made decades ago have helped shape the Inner
Harbor and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The Baltimore City Department of Planning has
drafted Baltimore’s first new Comprehensive Master
Plan in over 30 years.The Department approached
the Plan as Baltimore City’s business plan for
coordinating and leveraging City investment,
policy and programming to maximise economic
opportunity and the quality of life for all citizens of
Baltimore over the next 6 years.
(http://baltimorecity.gov/Government/AgenciesDepartments/
Planning/ComprehensiveMasterPlan.aspx)
Chesapeake Bay

10. San Francisco
San Francisco waterfront is not unlike Auckland’s,
in that it is a mixture of tourism and working
docklands.The public transport was exceptional,
balancing the beautiful tram and cable car, with
modern light rail and urban street-scaping.Auckland
too has spent considerable money on redeveloping
its waterfront and has recently incorporated a
historical tram loop. It was a surprise however to
discover the beach and swimmers in the Pacific
waters, with the stunning backdrop of Alcatraz and
the golden gate bridge.
San Francisco
San Francisco
Greenbiz Conference
Time was spent exploring the city and wishing to
have time to explore the surrounding redwood
forests. However, thanks to the City of Palo Alto
Council, I was fortunate to accompany Debra Van
Duynhoven to the three days GreenBiz Innovation
Conference in San Francisco. Highlights include: a
presentation by Privahini Bradoo who studied at
Auckland University on Bio- mining for rare earth
metals and gold from "e-waste" in landfills; the
aptly named Mario Herger on gamification initiative
at the Palo Alto SAP campus; and John Frey from HP
perspective on R&D in the sustainability field.
Green Biz
While attending the GreenBiz conference in
San Francisco, it became apparent that people
and businesses see sustainability as economic
sustainability, and just another way to make more
money through product development.The economy
is a servicing system, not an end in itself, rather,
the economy must be seen as dependent upon the
productive and functioning natural resources and
ecosystem services, which it then processes into
products and services for people. It must ideally
use as little natural resources as possible to enable
as many people as possible to live well.With an
increasing global population and finite natural
resources, this is essential in order to determine the
extent of sustainability of our civilisation.
19

11. it is not possible to outline all the events, meetings
and innovations that I was privileged to be privy to.
Here is a short outline:
• Adapting to Climate Change and Sea level Rise
Discussion – City Hall Council Chambers
• Palo Alto International Film Festival
• The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch at Rinconada Park
• Stanford University opening exhibition of Rodin
and America
• Tour of Stanford University andY2E2 tour with
Fahmida Ahmed, Director of Sustainability for
Stanford University
• Tour of Palo Alto Facilities and Parks with Greg
Betts
• Meeting with Joyce Kinnear for an overview of all
the energy Efficiency Programs Palo Alto offers
• Meeting with HP to discuss innovation and
energy efficiency in data centres
• Plug-in EV & infrastructure workshop in San Jose
• Demonstration of Hara – the city’s greenhouse
gas and energy management software
• The tour of Jasper Ridge Reserve Tommy
Fehrenbach
• The tour of Water Quality Treatment Plant and
potentially the Baylands
• San Jose Clean Tech discussion with Scott Green
The City of Palo Alto is situated in the Santa Clara
County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California
and is the home of Silicon Valley. It is named after
a redwood tree called El Palo Alto.The city includes
portions of Stanford University, is headquarters
to a number of Silicon Valley high-technology
companies, including Hewlett-Packard,VMware,
Tesla Motors, Ning, IDEO, and Palantir Technologies,
and has served as an incubator to several other high-
technology companies, such as Google and Logitech.
It has developed as the hub of innovation and start
up technologies.The town itself is built around
Stanford University, and is surrounded by leafy
suburbs of beautifully presented homes.
The US State Departments Fellows Program,
supported by ICMA, placed both myself and Blair
Dickie from New Zealand into the Council of Palo
Alto.As a guest of the city we both were provided
with an extensive programme of meetings with
council officials, businesses leaders and local
politicians. I would like to express my appreciation
to the executive team of the City of Palo Alto,
particularly the City Manager James Keene, Iris
Keene and Assistant City Manager Pamela Antil. I
would also like to thank Sid Espinosa, the Mayor of
the City at the time of the exchange; Greg Betts
the Director of Community Services; and Tommy
Fehrenbach, Economic Development Manager.While
Palo Alto
– See Clean Energy Showcase, Environmental
Innovations Center, Bio Center Incubator and
Environmental Business Center http://www.
sjredevelopment.org/incubators.htm
• Visit to Tesla Motors
• The three day GreenBiz Innovation conference in
San Francisco.
Tommy’s tour of Amber Ridge was a highlight,
along with the test driving of the Tesla Roadster. So
the “take aways” from California, is that it is very
advanced in sustainable practices and thinking.
Climate change mitigation is well covered with
over 1000 electric vehicle already on the roads,
green energy, Platinum LEED buildings, organic
supermarkets, and Prius’ everywhere. It was inspiring
to see the innovation in Silicon Valley and to
understand the amount of work already being done
by individuals, businesses and local government,
especially in climate change mitigation. It should
be noted that this is the easy sell; it saves on the
bottom line, and in this economic climate, who does
not want to save money through clean technology.
What worries me the most is that the United States
does not appear to be planning for the inevitable
effects of climate change adaptation? Who will
be funding and implementing the very large
infrastructure ungraded required building the levies
to stop flooding in the Bay area and California.
Debra Van Duynhoven
I would like to profile the Sustainability Manager
of Palo Alto, who spent weeks planning for the
exchange:
Debra van Duynhoven is Sustainability Manager for
the City of Palo Alto. She comes from the private
sector as a Vice President at a global real estate
management firm where she focused on sustainable
real estate projects for large Fortune 500 customers.
She is an architect by background, a LEED AP and
a Sustainable Building Advisor. Debra currently
works on many intradepartmental City initiatives
in Palo Alto, such as the Climate Protection Plan
Executive team
implementation, Electric Vehicle Infrastructure,
Revisions to the Green Building Ordinance,Water
Conservation initiatives and the integration of
Sustainability in the revised Comprehensive
Plan. Debra is in the process of creating an
intradepartmental Sustainability Team with subject
matter experts in Energy Supply and Conservation,
Water Conservation and Resource Management,
Natural Environment,Waste and Materials, Built
Environment,Transportation and Climate Change
and Adaptation.
James Keene
James Keene is the City Manager of Palo Alto,
California. He has previously served as the City
Manager of Berkeley, California and Tucson,Arizona.
He has been the Executive
Director of the California
State Association of Counties
(CSAC) and the County
Manager of Coconino
County,Arizona (Flagstaff).
Most recently, he was the
Director of Strategic Issues
and ICMA West for the
International City and County
Management Association and
President of the Alliance for
Innovation, a partnership between the 400 cities and
counties of the Innovation Groups, ICMA, and The
Arizona State University School of Public Affairs.
His life-long commitment to public service is driven
by a passion for sustainability; community building
and civic engagement; and innovation to transform
government.
21

12. permitting review, and plan to offer time-of-use
(TOU) electric rates.
Renewable Energy
The City has adopted a Renewable Portfolio
Standard (RPS) requiring that 33% of the City’s
electric usage be supplied by eligible renewable
energy resources by 2015, providing that goal can be
reached without raising rates more than five percent.
The City has ramped up its purchases of renewable
energy so that in 2010, about 19.7% of the City’s
needs were supplied by renewable power.The City’s
electric supply portfolio contains resources that
are considered to be "eligible renewable energy
resources." This means that these resources can be
counted as renewable and included in the Renewable
Portfolio Standard (RPS) target. In addition, the
City has large hydroelectric resources that provide
a carbon-free supply, but do not count towards
the RPS target. Finally Staff are also assessing the
possibility of having a carbon free electricity supply.
Staff will present their findings to the Utilities
Advisory commission and City council.
Electric Vehicles and Fuels
The City of Palo Alto has used electric vehicles
at different times since the late 1970's.The City
currently uses eight electric vehicles: a Toyota RAV4,
a Ford Ranger pickup truck, and six Cushman parking
meter scooters.The next 'thing' in the future of
Alternative Fuels is fuel cell technology.The city
intends to take a serious look at this technology
when it becomes available. Currently Palo Alto has
a number of initiatives that support the new and
developing Electric Vehicle (EV) market. Staff are
working to streamline the permit process for the
installation of EV chargers at homes and businesses
and is looking to take advantage of potential
funding opportunities to install chargers at publicly
accessible locations.The City is very supportive
of electric vehicles (EVs) and related sustainable
technologies. The City of Palo Alto is home to
Tesla, Better Place and numerous other EV related
companies.The City has installed EV chargers at
downtown garages and at City libraries (Main
and Mitchell).These chargers are available to the
public.The long term plans for EV initiatives are to
develop a City EV policy, residential and commercial
Compressed Natural Gas - CNG Station
Pilot Project
The City of Palo Alto is committed to the responsible
use of our natural resources and programme that
help keep our air clean. One way to accomplish this
is through the use of alternative fuels.These fuels are
available domestically, and are proven to be cleaner-
burning than conventional fuels such as diesel and
gasoline.The city's foremost alternative fuel is
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).Almost 70 vehicles
in the fleet (20%) are using CNG or a combination
of CNG and gasoline.Although the variety and
availability of CNG fueled vehicles is limited. And,
since Palo Alto buys natural gas for the entire city
at very low prices, the cost for this fuel is much less
than for gasoline and diesel.
Biodiesel
The City recently implemented its new "Biodiesel"
program. Biodiesel (B20) is a blend of 20% vegetable
oil and 80% diesel fuel.The City regards Biofuel
made from renewable resources, as one step to
provide an adequate supply of cleaner burning fuel
for their equipment, and are experiencing significant
reductions in diesel emissions in the process.
Bike Share
The City of Palo Alto along with the Valley
Transportation Authority (VTA) and the cities of
San Jose and Mountain View have been working
on a countywide public bicycle sharing programme
that would consists of 100 bicycles throughout the
Santa Clara County.The City of Palo Alto is currently
working with the VTA to implement the programme
and to identify site planning for potential bike share
locations.The bicycle share project is expected to
begin operations in spring 2012.
The City of Palo Alto also has an employee bike
share program with approximately 40 bikes in
various city facilities. I used the bikes to travel
around Stanford University and to visit the Tesla HQ.
I found the cycle paths and infrastructure really bike
friendly and the city was a very safe and easy place
to explore by bike.
Zero Waste
Palo Alto represents best practice with regards to
how it manages its waste. Zero Waste Palo Alto’s
mission is to help the community reach its Zero
Waste goal of virtually eliminating waste going to
landfills. Zero Waste goes beyond recycling – it’s
Innovation
Solar bus shelter
Solar panels 23

13. a systems approach that first seeks to eliminate
waste wherever possible, and then manages discards
through reuse and recycling.
Renewable Energy
I attended the Plug-in EV & infrastructure
workshop in San Jose, San Jose City Hall. Key
note speaker included: Damian Breen, Director,
Strategic Incentives Division, Bay Area Air Quality
Management District, who provided an overview
of the "California Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV)
Readiness Project". Silicon Valley Clean Cities
Coalition hosted the stakeholder meeting at the
San Jose Clean Energy Showcase and discussed
the Coalition's $200 million order financing for
municipal fleets.This year there will be 1000 EV's
in the Bay area, by 2020 this number is estimated
to grow to 10,000.The regional investment is
currently $5,000,000, with government planned
investment of $26,000,000 and further $70,000,000
planned in the Bay region alone.The Silicon Valley
Clean Cities Coalition is a partnership of public and
private agencies, businesses, and interested citizens
dedicated to the advancement of alternative fuels
in order to improve the air quality of Silicon Valley
and to enhance energy security While in San Jose I
also visited the excellent Clean Energy Showcase,
and meet with managers of the Environmental
Innovations Center, Bio Center Incubator and
Environmental Business Center.
www.sjeconomy.com
(link to the site)
Electic Vehicles
While in Palo Alto I was fortunate enough to be
invited to meet with Diarmuid O’Connell, the Vice
President, Corporate and Business Development
for Tesla Motors, Deer Creek Road, Palo Alto.While
driving the Tesla Roadster was a highlight of my trip
to the US, I was also very impressed by the new
Model S and the new Toyota Electric Rav4.Tesla
plans to make 20,000 a year of the Model S, to
compete with BMW 5 series.The car is luxurious,
offering 435 horsepower and acceleration to 60
miles an hour in 4.4 seconds from the silent 85
kilowatt - hour battery.With its touch screen digital
interface and sleek lines, I could clearly see how Tesla
had taken electric vehicles to the next level.
Photo Voltaic
New Technology includes the PV panels that use
mirrors and lenses to concentrate sunlight hundreds
of times onto tiny, highly efficient solar cells.The
systems are meant to cut back on one of the most
expensive parts of traditional PV: the silicon-based
solar panel.And the New solar architectures and
approaches that simplify PV panel installation.
Another new PV panel is the lightweight hexagonal
solar panel that simplifies installation and lowers
installation cost.Armageddon has devised a framing
system and a lightweight solar panel that, effectively,
can go straight from a few cardboard boxes onto
your roof.A single one-kilowatt solar system from
Armageddon consists of a triangular frame, a micro-
inverter and three lightweight silicon hexagonal solar
panels.The clovers still have to be secured to the
roof, angled toward the sun and plugged into the
electrical system, which works best when handled
by professionals, but much of the work associated
with conventional solar systems is already done.
The clovers are also lightweight. A single hexagonal
solar panel weighs about 14 pounds.A conventional
silicon solar panel might weigh 40 pounds. Lower
weight means cheaper shipping, lower carbon taxes
(where applicable) and a more rapid install.30,000
Model S
Photo voltaic
25

14. earthquake to strike the East Coast since World
War II. In Washington, the Park Service closed all
monuments and memorials on the National Mall.
Cracks appeared in the Washington Monument and
the National Cathedral, which had three capstones
break off its tower.The White House and Capitol
were evacuated.
WhileWashington DC was a wonderful city to be
based, with the world class free Smithsonian museums;
clean and well appointed architecture and efficient
public transport, including a very modern bike sharing
scheme.The overwhelming experience was the
large group of U.S. State Department Professional
Fellows who came together to talk about the
intergovernmental and cross global issues.
World hunger in Africa, was linked to global food
security, equity, climate change adaptation and
the long term sustainability. It was clear that
only by working together on these global issues,
could progress be made.And that the first step
in this process was to develop the networks and
connections in order to look for innovative action
based solutions.
What is sustainability? Does every American
agree that a $15 trillion deficit is not sustainable.
Sustainability initiatives need to be implemented
by the UN locally, by the U.S State Department, by
local government (with the support of ICLEI) and
most importantly by grass root organisations and
individuals.A viable sustainable eco-economy needs
to be based on whole-of-life material and supply
chain cycles, more eco-efficient systems, and the
creation of long term jobs based on workers’ rights
and improved social conditions.The challenge is
that globally we need to produce goods and services
with dwindling resources, while at the same time
reducing society’s effects on the environment.All
cities in America must become models of sustainable
eco-efficiency by innovating solutions to wastage,
excess and inefficiency. Reducing poverty goes hand-
in-hand with sustainable resource management,
climate change, food security and long term
resilience.
Prior to my visit to the United States and poignant
given the ongoing earthquake destruction of
Christchurch in New Zealand.Tens of millions of
people were jolted in August 2011 by the strongest
Local governments are already working in multiple
areas which form part of the sustainable eco-
economy to improved human well-being and social
equity, while significantly reducing environmental
risks and ecological scarcities. From the Professional
fellows exchange it was evident that local councils
in America, like that of New Zealand were
already working on such projects as sustainable
procurement, green buildings and infrastructure,
renewable energy, alternative fuels and transport
and improving waste management. While local
governments have been active in calling for greater
inclusion of stakeholders in the UN, special status
was recognised for the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCC) at the 16th Conference
of the Parties (COP16) in Cancun in December
2010, where local governments were described as
“governmental stakeholders” for the first time.
For information on how the concept of sustainability
is defined by the UN on Wiki. http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Sustainability
With this in mind while in NewYork I visited the
UN HQ to look at potential links with Auckland
Council and the corporate sustainability initiatives
and Property Department of the UN, through the
excellent “Greening the Blue”, SUN programme.
Having met with Reta Jo Lewis, the U.S. Department
of States Special Representative for Global
International Affairs and discussed the Pacific Leader’s
Forum I was keen to develop a long-term plan of
engagement between myself and key stakeholders
including the UN and US State department to assist
with logistic support on renewable energy initiatives
in the Asia/Pacific region.
Washington DC New York
Empire State BuildingTax dollars paid

15. With the view to fostering innovation, resilience and
global international relationships, I feel fortunate to
have visited Washington DC and California under
the U.S. Professional Fellows Exchange Program in
2011. My exchange was based in the City of Palo
Alto, California with the City Manager, James Keene
and his staff. In return James Keene will be arriving in
Auckland on March 12th 2012, and we are looking at
discussing with him opportunities around economic
development and to further facilitate and promote
exchanges between our two countries.
Prior to the U.S. State Departments Professional
Fellows Exchange, I met with Reta Jo Lewis, the
U.S. Department of States Special Representative
for Global International Affairs and Rhonda Binda
at Auckland Council to discuss the Pacific Leader’s
Forum, and was kindly providing a useful context to
the opportunities from the Forum with regards to
clean technology and the U.S. State Departments
role in the Region.
The overwhelming experience from the U.S. State
Department Professional Fellows Programme was the
development of intergovernmental and cross global
professional networks. From the connections made,
the U.S. Professional Fellows Exchange Programme has
provided the opportunity to develop a long-term plan
of engagement between myself and key stakeholders
that will continue after the grant programme,
between key local government practitioners and
professional associations in the United States and
their counterparts in other countries.
If possible I would like to be able to discuss these
opportunities further. For example, I am interested in
the opportunities to work with the U.S.Ambassador
in New Zealand; and opportunities to assist the
United Nations, the U.S. State Departments and the
Pacific Leaders Forum with regards to renewable
energy and climate change.
The City of Palo Alto Council has expressed an
interest in working with myself and my team at
the Rio+20 Global Town Hall and the ICLEI World
Congress 2012. From Palo Alto’s perspective they are
discussing how a small city with their own utility can
push the sustainability envelope - as I saw firsthand
how the City of Palo Alto is doing some incredible
things – like having the highest participation of any
Professional fellows
Conclusion
renewable energy programme in the US; a waste
diversion rate of over 80%; and being at the heart
of green tech innovation. It would be an interesting
discussion to contrast or compare Auckland Council's
initiatives and to show how cities of different sizes
can pursue a more sustainable future. It would
be great to do this with the support of the key
stakeholders as an extension of the Climate Change
Fellows programme.
From my prospective as the Sustainability Manager
of Auckland Council, regional and local partnerships
could be extended international too, with the
support of the US State Department, to profile the
expertise of local government in New Zealand to
facilitate further global international relationships in
the Australasian region.
29
VIDEO
US State Department

16. For more info: 09 123 4567
aucklandcouncil.govt.nz