Free webcast on funding green city infrastructure & retrofits

The Sustainable Cities Collective is hosting a free webcast on how to pay for urban sustainability projects when budgets Are tight.  It will be held May 24 at 1pm ET/10am PT.  Although the session is free, registration is required.

From the announcement:

Advocates of sustainability know that urban retrofits and infrastructure projects offer opportunities to increase energy efficiency as well as livability, and reduce the environmental impact of our towns and cities. But protracted economic challenges have left governments at nearly all levels ill-equipped to provide funding for many such projects, both in the U.S. and abroad.

The Sustainable Cities Collective is hosting our newest webcast to discuss this challenge, and potential strategies that governments and project planners might employ to overcome funding obstacles to sustainability. We'll discuss whether solutions like public-private partnerships could change the face of U.S. infrastructure development, and whether projects abroad can provide important lessons for state-side sustainability work.

Join us to examine the future of sustainable cities:

• What are the major funding challenges for "green" projects? Where are the biggest pain points?
• Are public-private partnerships a viable solution for green infrastructure projects? Are there any potential pitfalls?
• Are there examples of sustainable infrastructure or building investments that provide good financial returns?
• If budgets are tight, which areas of investment are most effective in terms of improving sustainability? Where is the best ROI?
Panelists include the following:

• Glenn Stone is a principal in the US firm of Grant Thornton and global head of Project Finance for Grant Thornton International, responsible for all international project finance business. Glenn is a qualified accountant and has extensive experience with Public-Private Partnerships across a range of sectors throughout the UK and around the world. He has over 20 years experience of project finance and is a regular international conference speaker on the subject. He has been lead advisor on a wide range of major transportation and terminal projects including the Victoria Terminal in London for Transport For London, and the New Delhi Railway Station redevelopment for Indian Railways.
• Chris Cheatham is managing partner of Cheatham Consulting, LLC, providing consulting and dispute resolution services related to construction, surety, and green building projects. Chris is a LEED Accredited Professional and green building authority who frequently speaks to groups and associations, and has worked with attorneys, contractors, sureties, architects, engineers, and owners regarding green building growth, and risk mitigation strategies. Chris is also the publisher of the widely-read Green Building Law Update, a blog dedicated to emerging legal and regulatory issues in the green building industry.
• Mike Kearney is the Sr. Director of U.S. Energy & Environmental Solutions for Siemens Building Technologies, Inc., where his group works to deliver comprehensive solutions that make buildings more energy efficient, reliable and productive. Mike has 21 years of experience in sales and management in energy solutions, is a LEED Accredited Professional (AP) and is on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO). In his current role, he is responsible for helping staff, energy engineers and project managers deliver outstanding value to energy and environmental customers nationwide.
• Richard McGill Murphy is Chief Content Officer at Social Media Today. In this role he directs editorial strategy and content production across all SMT web properties. Murphy is a journalist and media executive with 15 years of experience covering business, technology and international affairs. He previously edited Fortune Small Business magazine and served as editorial and program director at the Committee to Protect Journalists. Murphy is a contributing editor at Fortune magazine. He holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from Harvard and a doctorate in social anthropology from Oxford University.

Go to this link to Register for the webcast.

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