Since the successful Mediterranean City Conference in Athens, we have been busy behind the scenes putting together the next phase of the Mediterranean City Climate Change Consortium (MC-4). It is my pleasure to tell you about a couple of positive changes in the network and to invite you and your colleagues to join us as we move forward.
First, the MC-4 Secretariat is now housed at Loyola Marymount University’s (LMU) Center for Urban Resilience (CURes) in Los Angeles. CURes is made up of academics, environmental professionals and community partners with expertise in science, policy, ethics, natural history, educational practices and urban planning. A few of our current projects include managing the Cities and the Environment (CATE) Journal, pioneering the Urban EcoLab Curriculum and leading Restorative Justice workshops. Representatives from CURes attended the most recent Mediterranean City Conference and we are energized and prepared to take on this new leadership role in the network. Overall, we believe that our range of expertise combined with the unique resources at LMU and our commitment to building resilient cities makes us an ideal home for the Secretariat.
Second, CURes has launched a new website featuring MC-4. In addition to an updated layout for the site, we host an interactive blog and events calendar. We also track recent climate adaptation news, list current MC-4 events and offer planning resources organized by geographic location. With all of these features, our new website will be a powerful tool for sustaining our vibrant network and recruiting new members.
Third, CURes has hired me as the MC-4 Secretary. I bring to this role experience working for Los Angeles environmental nonprofit organizations as well as for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Center for American Progress, a Washington D.C. policy and advocacy organization. I am thrilled to continue working with MC-4 and look forward to collaborating with all of you.
From 2012 to 2014, the Council for Watershed Health led MC-4 to several major accomplishments. Network members presented at high-profile events such as the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP), the European Climate Adaptation Conference (ECCA) and the National Adaptation Forum (NAF). The Council also hosted the inaugural Mediterranean City Conference, which attracted over 230 stakeholders and produced an adaptation commitment to action. We are extremely proud of the work that the Council has done to establish and drive MC-4 to be the leading network for building resiliency to climate change among cities in Mediterranean-climate regions.
Now, MC-4 has started a new chapter and I encourage you to take advantage of the resources that we currently offer and will develop throughout the coming year. I hope that you can join us for one of our international conference calls, are interested in contributing to our blog or would like to collaborate on new publications. Together, we can propel Mediterranean cities towards climate action.
About the Author: Laurel Hunt is the Secretary of The Mediterranean City Climate Change Consortium (MC-4) as well as the Programs and Communications Manager at the Loyola Marymount University Center for Urban Resilience (CURes). She has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles. The emphasis of her graduate studies was on climate change adaptation, regional environmental sustainability and community-based participatory planning. At UCLA, she served as the Director of the Sustainable Resource Center and founder of the campus’ first-ever sustainability film festival, Green Screens. She brings to her role as Programs Manager at CURes experience working for Los Angeles environmental nonprofit organizations as well as for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Center for American Progress, a Washington D.C. policy and advocacy organization.