Capital District Times

The City of Albany, NY, is thrilled to announce that our community is one of the selected 24 cities to participate in the Cities Forward program, a collaborative initiative between the U.S. Department of State, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, Resilient Cities Catalyst, and the Institute of the Americas. Launched at the Cities Summit of the Americas, this program is dedicated to assisting Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and U.S. cities in creating sustainable, inclusive, and resilient futures through project consultation, co-design, and knowledge sharing.

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "Albany leads in our commitment to sustainability and being part of the Cities Forward cohort is another testament to our ongoing efforts to combatting climate change and improving our residents' quality of life in every neighborhood. We have converted all 10,000 streetlights to LEDs, 100% of the electricity purchased by city operations is generated from renewable sources, and we have committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050, but we know there is even more we can do."

"We are thrilled to collaborate with these cities and tap into their ingenuity and creativity," added Angie Fyfe, ICLEI USA Executive Director. "By bringing together local expertise and global perspectives, we can craft innovative, inclusive sustainable solutions that will have a lasting impact across the world."

The City of Albany is excited to connect with various cities as part of the program, including Manaus, Brazil, to work on building equitable and inclusive economic opportunities, strengthening sustainability, and promoting a healthy environment for all.

For more information on the Cities Forward program, interested individuals can visit https://icleiusa.org/cities-forward.