KLA Perspectives

Key Takeaways from Our Popular APA #NPC26 Session 

Apparently telling planners at the National Planning Conference “Nobody Cares About Your Plan” is a sure fire way to pack a room. 

That was the title of my session at APA’s #NPC26 in Detroit last weekend that drew a standing room only crowd of about 150 people. Looking out at the packed space, I got quite a laugh with the opener “wow, that’s a lot of plans nobody cares about.” 

But it hit on a pain point that most planners and local government staff share: the same people show up again and again, and it’s a struggle to reach beyond the choir. 

Here are some of the high notes from my session. We've also woven these core concepts into our new ActionReady™ program that you can learn more about here.

People aren't making the decisions that matter for climate action on April 22. 

When we raise the dignity of our public discourse,
we raise our ability to solve real problems like the climate crisis

As seen in Kim's recent LinkedIn post.

In January 2026, I heard Tim Shriver speak about the Dignity Index at the Massachusetts Municipal Association conference in Boston. I left genuinely energized, and I said publicly that I’d come back for a deeper dive.

I’m coming back to it now for two reasons:

• First, because many of us who work with or in local government are feeling the strain of public discourse. In a recent LinkedIn post, I shared that I’m “done… just done” with the contempt that can dominate public life. That post resonated widely not because people are fragile, but because people are tired.
• Second, because the Dignity Index team has now released a major new research product: the nation’s first-ever Dignity Barometer, conducted in February 2026, which puts numbers to what many of us experience every day.

Are You Scratching the Surface or Moving the Needle?

We’re all guilty of writing the mile-long to-do list and then cherry picking only the easiest things. Or looking at the 37 items and shutting down entirely. The lack of prioritization and the default “laundry list” mean we don’t always accomplish what we really need to.

That’s true for household chores and work tasks. And it also applies to so many climate action plans we’ve seen.

Science-based targets aren’t resolutions. They are not optional, and neither are the outcomes.

Wrapping up 2025 and our Five-Year Partnership with Clark County 

As 2025 is coming to a close, so is our five-year partnership with Clark County, Nevada. KLA’s long-term collaboration with Clark County exemplifies our mission to build local capacity to drive measurable outcomes from climate action.  

Of course, we delivered the signature KLA services: Regional GHG Inventory, Climate Vulnerability Assessment, and two sustainability and climate action plans (one for government operations and one for the community). But, because this was a five-year endeavor in a community fresh on the climate action scene, we also had the opportunity to take our focus on capacity building to the next level.  

Kim Celebrates KLA's First-Ever Spot on the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies

NY Climate Week 2025 reminded us that the climate solutions we need aren't just theoretical - they're real, they're available, and they're working. KLA CEO Kim Lundgren was on the ground in New York last week to hear that message and to say "we're already on it." KLA has been working with 75+ local governments for the past 10 years to be solutions-forward with initiatives that have the most impact. 

From the New England APWA and national PWX conferences to the Northeast Public Power Association, utility partnerships was a summer theme for KLA

KLA Ranks No. 3316 (99^th in Government Services) on the 2025 Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies