KLA Perspectives

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

The SAS Talk with Kim podcast is back with Episode 35 on navigating careers, motherhood and the climate crisis with four KLA clients and partners

The “I Love New Bedford” Campaign Helped Broaden the Appeal of Hazard Mitigation Planning 

Does this sound familiar? You’ve got a new plan or project that you need the community to comment on or an action you need them to take. So, you plan an event at City Hall or the library, invite local partner organizations to set up tables, and hope that people turn out.  

And just maybe you’ve been disappointed with turnout, you’re still struggling to bring in new voices, or you want to expand beyond a one-and-done event (even if it’s annual like Earth Day)? 

You. Are. Not. Alone.  

Engaging every corner of the community can be challenging, especially when trying to keep people involved through all the stages of planning and implementation. 

Over the past couple of years, the City of New Bedford, Massachusetts, has been trying to spread awareness around hazard preparedness—but they faced challenges with attracting attendance to events focused on heavier topics, especially among residents from historically underrepresented neighborhoods and those who live in areas with the most extreme climate impacts.  

That’s where KLA stepped in.  

We partnered with New Bedford (a long-time KLA partner) to support the Community Resilience Awareness Campaign and the Prepare NB event, a fair to promote resilience and emergency preparedness throughout the community. KLA’s goal in planning for Prepare NB wasn’t just to help boost turnout—it was to plant the seed for an ongoing conversation about climate impacts and hazard preparedness that would grow far beyond just one day of fun activities.  

Here’s how we did it.