Investing in Local Climate Action: The Evolving Role of National Governments

Tue, 25 February, 2025 12:15pm - 1:45pm

National governments, acting on their own and through multilateral organizations, have been seen as the primary movers of climate action, particularly given their financial resources, data, and expertise. However, with subnational governments and cities increasingly demonstrating impressive policy momentum and innovation on climate issues -- as well as greater political maneuverability and knowledge of local adaptation needs -- today there are more numerous and targeted opportunities for national governments to support local actors on climate issues. Learn more about how this national government role is evolving--both here in the US and around the world. This event is supported by IIEP Local Sustainable Governance Lab and USS Sustainable Cities.

Schedule

12:00 p.m. - Lunch Available to Guests
12:15 - 1:45 p.m. - Event
1:45 - 2:00 p.m. - Networking

Speakers

Kate Johnson serves as the Head of US Federal Affairs at C40 Cities. In this role she works with C40 member cities and partners to advance US federal policy that supports cities in achieving their climate goals and supports C40’s overall engagement with partners in Washington DC. Prior to joining C40, Kate served for eight years at the Washington D.C. Department of Energy and Environment where she led an interdisciplinary team charged with achieving D.C.s goal to be carbon neutral and climate resilient. Earlier in her career, Kate worked for the American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy, where she launched a program focused on affordable housing and helped to create the City Energy Efficiency Scorecard, and for the Sierra Club. Kate holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Moderator

Malcolm Russell-Einhorn is a Research Professor of International Affairs at GW's Elliott School, where he focuses on legal and regulatory reform in developing countries, particularly issues relating to public participation in rulemaking and the rights of citizens and businesses in administrative processes. Over the course of his career in law and international development, he has served in a variety of management and consulting roles, including six years as Director of the Center for International Development at the State University of New York at Albany. He has taught courses on law and development, corruption and development, comparative law, and comparative public administration at the Georgetown, American, and Boston University Law Schools, and at Brandeis University's Heller School, UMass Boston's McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, and Tufts University's Fletcher School.

Discussants

Matthew Eldridge is a Senior Program Officer in the Development Policy and Finance team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He focuses primarily on climate finance and policy, including the macroeconomic implications of climate change for developing countries. Prior to joining the foundation, Matt worked at the Urban Institute, a nonprofit research organization, researching and providing technical assistance on results-based financing approaches. Before that, he consulted on US banking and asset management regulation and held roles at the World Bank, working on aid effectiveness as well as the Bank’s Central Asia portfolio.

Charles Cadwell is an Institute Fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington DC. A lawyer, he has worked on issues of economic development, governance and democratization in more than two dozen countries including most recently, Moldova and Kenya. He served as Vice President for International Development and Growth at Urban for twelve years, focusing on local governance and service delivery. His prior work included 16 years as Director of the IRIS Center at the University of Maryland’s Economics Department. He currently serves on the Board of the Local Public Sector Alliance and is engaged with several groups looking at the political economy of development challenges, including issues of policy coordination and autonomy in multi-level governance contexts.

Where

Lindner Family Commons (6th Floor) The Elliott School of International Affairs Foggy Bottom Campus 1957 E Street, NW Washington DC 20052

Admission

Open to everyone.