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Hartford, Conn. (WTNH) – Governor M. Jodi Rell said today that Connecticut will hold its first ever “Municipal Summit on Climate Action” this Saturday to support efforts of cities and towns to address climate change.

“We need local officials to assume a greater leadership role on the issue of climate change, and this first-of-its-kind summit is designed to support them in making real and measurable progress,” Governor Rell said. “While the challenges posed by climate change may seem daunting, our local leaders are discovering that strategies to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions can actually help reduce municipal operating costs, stimulate our emerging green economy and foster healthy and livable communities.”

The “Municipal Summit on Climate Action” will take place Saturday, March 13 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Kroon Hall on the campus of Yale University.

The summit is sponsored by the Governor’s Steering Committee on Climate Change (GSC) with the support of Yale Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation. Those in attendance will be chief elected local officials, other municipal employees and members of local sustainability and clean energy task forces.

The summit features opening remarks by Amey Marrella, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Chair of the GSC, along with a panel discussion on communicating climate issues effectively to municipal officials and residents.

The summit will then move to a series of workshops on a variety of topics such as: financing energy efficiency improvements; greener schools; improving recycling programs; reducing transportation emissions;and buying locally grown foods.

The workshops will showcase successful energy and climate initiatives in many Connecticut towns, including Middletown, Woodbridge, Cornwall, Bethany, Groton, New Haven, Westport, Wethersfield, Windham, Vernon, Stafford, Mansfield, and West Hartford.

The workshops will provide municipal officials with information and resources they need to continue developing an effective response to climate challenges.

Kroon Hall, the site for the summit, is a new, LEED® Platinum certified building of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. LEED® stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is the U.S. Green Building Council’s rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy-efficient and high-performing structures.

Further information on the summit is available here.