Driving Investment Toward Infrastructure Improvements

Recognizing the importance of developing innovative methods for improving the environmental and social efficacy of our infrastructure, shelters, buildings, neighborhoods, and cities, the Clinton Global Initiative has been working with its members and key stakeholders from the government, organized labor, and private sectors to drive further investment into public, job-creating infrastructure improvements. Last week, President Bill Clinton visited Washington, D.C. to celebrate progress already made and encourage further work to improve our built environment.

First, President Clinton participated in a ceremony celebrating ongoing progress on a landmark CGI America Commitment to Action made in 2011 by the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), a broad coalition of public sector unions, the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, and the Center for American Progress to encourage the investment of over $10 billion into the reconstruction of America's built environment. The commitment has reached more than $2.7 billion in progress since its announcement. A part of this commitment was to conduct an extensive energy efficient retrofitting of its own headquarters; and, on Thursday, President Clinton, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, and AFT President Randi Weingarten officially kicked off the retrofit, managed by McKinstry, a nationally recognized energy services corporation. By replacing and upgrading the existing windows and deploying a new lighting system, the retrofit will allow the AFL-CIO to operate the building and its utilities more efficiently.

On Friday, President Bill Clinton, Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors hosted the first meeting of the Infrastructure Financing for Cities (IFC) Task Force at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Center for American Progress. The IFC Task Force includes 17 mayors with a combined constituency of more than 17 million people who have come together to explore solutions to current obstacles facing public infrastructure investment; look at existing models of leveraging private capital to finance projects such as road and water system improvements; and deliberate innovative investment models such as the creation of an urban infrastructure bank. Leading mayors from across the United States came together for a full-day working meeting with business leaders, labor leaders, and national experts to share best practices and identify concrete, collaborative approaches to advance critical public infrastructure projects in American cities.

In the morning, the mayors met with Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, President of the Rockefeller Foundation Dr. Judith Rodin, Dr. Laura Tyson, Peter Orszag, and North America Chairman of Meridiam Infrastructure Jane Garvey for substantive, deep-dive conversations about how to leverage federal, state, local, and private resources to creatively address the need for investments in infrastructure, with the objective of rebuilding our cities and creating jobs.

The mayors worked throughout the day to address specific project needs in working sessions, including one led by the Center for American Progress that focused on high-impact federal and local partnership. Another session, held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was led by Lois Scott, Chief Financial Officer for the City of Chicago, and former Governor of Puerto Rico Luis Fortuno. Scott and Fortuno, along with the mayors, worked on how to create structures to get infrastructure projects done at scale, looking at the Chicago Infrastructure Trust and the Puerto Rico Public Private Partnership Authority as examples. The last afternoon session was a workshop in which mayors and their representatives worked directly with Peter Orszag, Rodney Slater, and Peter Raymond to develop real solutions for specific projects.

The Task Force explored creating guiding principles for both government and private sector leaders to use as they make serious commitments to invest in infrastructure projects. The discussion also focused on the needs of communities and the ability for cities to provide excellent public service and improved efficiency as part of financing decisions for infrastructure projects. Cities, companies, and organized labor decided to use CGI's unique commitment platform to advance specific projects, accelerate big ideas, and collaborate on innovative approaches. In the lead up to the 2013 CGI America Meeting, to be held June 13-14 in Chicago, the IFC Task Force will continue to discuss how to best move forward in communities across the United States.


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Partnering for the Planet

In the spirit of Earth Day 2013 and in response to its global theme, “The Face of Climate Change,” CGI recognizes three CGI and CGI America commitments that use cross-sector partnerships to implement programs that support our ecosystems and address our use of energy and water.

In 2012, United Water—a CGI member—committed to partner with KKR & Co. L.P., a global investment firm, to form entities that will provide Nassau County, New York and the City of Bayonne, New Jersey with private capital to initiate capital investment in their municipal water systems. Through this five year commitment, United Water, KKR, and the municipalities will combine efforts to manage the operations and repairs of these water systems in exchange for resident-paid water usage fees. This project will promote job creation, create a cleaner environment, improve the quality of the water, and clear millions of dollars of accumulated debt. In addition, it will ensure that ownership and stewardship of the water system stays in the hands of the public, which protects residents from the possibility of sudden, sharp rises in water rates.

At the 2012 CGI America Meeting in Chicago, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity—in partnership with the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance—announced its commitment to deliver Building Operator Certification (BOC) training to incumbent workers, returning veterans, and employed building operators. The BOC program offers facilities workers the improved job skills and knowledge they need to create energy efficient and environmentally friendly workplaces, leading to energy savings and cost reductions and the promotion of green jobs across the state.

Commitment-makers have also made significant environmental and social impact in countries around the world. Man & Nature, a CGI member, works to promote innovative strategies for sustainable development. By linking environmental protection and poverty alleviation efforts to the product development practices of high-end cosmetic companies, Man & Nature is helping to ensure that these companies have sustainable supply chains that support both the local economies in which they work and protect the natural resources on which their products rely. Their 2012 commitment will scale their current biodiversity conservation efforts in Madagascar to an additional 10 countries across Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa through the creation of new partnerships with small, local NGOs and large multi-national cosmetic companies, including Chanel Inc. and Yves Rocher.

These commitments each rely on unique partnerships to maximize their impact. Let their work inspire future efforts to protect Earth and all of its inhabitants. To find out more about these and other environmentally-conscious CGI commitments, click here.


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Supporting Financial Education and Lending Services in Mississippi

As many national organizations promote programs and services in support of Financial Literacy Month this April, CGI recognizes commitment-makers that are working to create a more inclusionary financial sector. To help combat poverty and create better access to fair credit, the Mississippi Center for Justice, a CGI America commitment-maker, is working to change the state's current financial landscape by increasing access to financial literacy programs and mainstream banking services. Their Commitment to Action focuses on supporting a system with fair borrowing options that can grow family assets and benefit both individuals and the economy as a whole. Watch the video below to find out how, through this commitment, employers and leading financial institutions are fostering collaborative partnerships and implementing a strategy that will offer fair lending alternatives and credit building opportunities to Mississippians.

 

Commitment Name: Growing Family Assets Through Fair Lending in Mississippi
Commitment By: Mississippi Center for Justice


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STEM Education, Creative Writing, and…Ice Cream?

Exposing students to science through creative writing can actively engage children who would normally choose to express themselves through poetry and prose rather than beakers and pH testing strips. Watch how CGI America commitment-maker Time Warner Cable Inc. and partners 826 National and the Coalition for Science After School are helping students to see the creative side of science through writing workshops and kid-friendly experiments, like the ice cream adventure featured in this video. Through workshops like these, organizations are changing youth perceptions of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and are inspiring the next generation of American innovators.

These efforts are a direct result of the 2012 CGI America commitment made by Time Warner Cable Inc. to pilot STEM-based creative writing workshops for over 90 students in the cities of Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.

Commitment Name: Changing Youth Perceptions of STEM Through Creative Writing
Commitment By: Time Warner Cable Inc.
Commitment Partners: 826 National, Coalition for Science After School


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CGI America participants announce their Commitments to Action (Video)

Last week at the 2012 CGI America Meeting, attendees made more than 50 new Commitments to Action valued at more than $1 billion that will create 32,000 jobs and fill more than 500,000 vacant jobs in the United States.

How do these commitments function on an individual basis? And how do they leverage different sectors, partnerships, resources, and ideas to create effective solutions? Watch the “Commitment Announcement” playlist below and hear from CGI America attendees first-hand how they're turning ideas into action for the US economy.


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President Clinton announces impact of commitments made at CGI America 2012

Today, President Clinton announced the impact of the 2012 CGI America Meeting and the 58 Commitments to Action that were made by attendees. Read the full press release and statement by President Clinton. When fully funded and implemented, the 58 new CGI America commitments aim to positively impact the lives of nearly 3.9 million Americans in the following ways:

- More than 32,000 jobs will be created, including 6,600 green jobs.
- More than 500,000 jobs will be filled by veterans and their family members.
- Nearly 68,000 people will receive improved access to capital or financial services.
- More than 117,000 people will benefit from access to job training and certification.
- Nearly 760 million kilowatt hours of energy will be saved.
- More than $84 million of new capital will be invested in green initiatives.
- More than 12,000 people will gain increased access to health services.
- More than $640 million of the total value of the new commitments will address housing recovery, including returning distressed single-family housing to productive use, retrofitting homes in 25 new cities, and developing affordable housing units for low-income individuals.


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