Environmental Webinar Series Showcases Participatory Approaches to Climate Change

ICA Program Manager Caitlin Sarro and CSF Senior Partner Jane Stallman promise to bring the series to life at the 2019 ToP Network Annual Gathering in New Orleans.

Watch the webinars

“The power of storytelling is a driving force that engages communities. Stories have been the basis of culture from the beginning of time,” said Adam Gebb, Executive Director of Andes Amazon Conservancy, during the first in a series of webinars on climate change and environmental sustainability co-sponsored by ICA and the Center for Strategic Facilitation (CSF).

Beginning with the premise that “human-caused climate change is a defining issue of our time,” the Success through Participation: Environmental Sustainability Webinars, or “eco-webinars”, was launched to facilitate a multicultural, multinational exchange between leaders and projects who are working to address climate change.

The series and the partnership was inspired by a conversation between ICA Program Manager Caitlin Sarro and CSF Senior Partner Jane Stallman at the 2019 Technology of Participation (ToP) Network Annual Gathering in New Orleans. They were interested in exploring how participation processes, such as ToP, have been used to organize around climate change.

Each webinar features several case stories that provide a glimpse into strategies used to move local communities and organizations to take just and impactful climate actions.

​The first webinar, held on September 5, 2019, emphasized asset-based approaches. Participants reflected on how each initiative started with “inspired people energized to move something forward” and then leveraged the power of an existing community.

• accelerate77 and Chicago Sustainability Leaders Network (CSLN), presented by Caitlin Sarro
  • Caitlin shared the origin story of ICA’s accelerate77 project and the Chicago Sustainability Leaders Network (CSLN), the grassroots network which ICA continues to facilitate.
• Amazon Biocorridor Project, presented by Adam Gebb
  • Through the Shiwiar Territory planning project, Adam has been working with rainforest communities to create plans to conserve their local culture and foster large scale conservation.
• Plant Chicago, presented by Kassandra Hinrichsen
  • Kassandra explained how Plant Chicago cultivates local circular economies through education programs, farmers market, small business improvement, and research programs.

​Focusing on the built environment, the second webinar, held on October 3, 2019, showcased sustainability efforts in Alameda County, California, as well as three examples of sustainable building development.

• Alameda County Sustainability Office, presented by Carolyn Bloede 
  • Carolyn shared the partnerships, policies, and programs, that have allowed Alameda County to reach its initial sustainability goals and identify next steps.
• ICA GreenRise, presented by Caitlin Sarro
  • Caitlin discussed how improvements to ICA GreenRise aim to establish the 1920s historic building as a demonstration of energy efficiency and a community anchor for its diverse commercial and residential tenants.
• Nina Huasi Shelter​​, presented by Valeria Bustos
  • Valeria is an architect at Al Cubo Arquitectura, an Ecuador-based firm dedicated to sustainable architecture that has been characterized by its contemporary ecological designs. She shared several projects, including the Nina Huasi women’s shelter.

• Living Building Challenge​​, presented by Daphne Cothren
  • Daphne explained how she used the Living Building Challenge as a framework for sustainable and regenerative architecture and inspired her to build a structure in her yard that encompasses the highest levels of the challenge.

​The third and final webinar on November 7, 2019, focused on movements that have encouraged students and residents to take action.

• University of California Cool Campus Challenge, presented by Ryan Bell
  • Working out of the Office of Sustainability for the University of California system, Ryan and his team have created ambitious goals and powerful initiatives that engage students, faculty, administration, and other stakeholders in the Cool Campus challenge. Over the course of a summer month, this challenge engaged over 22,000 participants and reduced 10,220 metric tons of carbon dioxide in self-reported actions, equivalent to taking 2,170 cars off the road for a year.
• Actions Anyone Can Take - Climate of Hope Book Study and Maxwell Park Environmental Sustainability Group, presented by Jane Stallman
  • Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet from Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former head of the Sierra Club Carl Pope provides a manifesto on how the benefits of taking action on climate change are concrete, immediate, and immense. Using this book, Jane said the study group has provided an opportunity to connect with others who believe change is possible and are interested in seeking real, pragmatic solutions.
• Accelerate Neighborhood Climate Action (ANCA), presented by Sunny Walker

• Technology of Participation (ToP) facilitator Sunny Walker presented the Accelerate Neighborhood Climate Action (ANCA) initiatives, which is helping residents create community climate action plans block-by-block, neighborhood-by-neighborhood in Denver, Colorado.