Alyssa Fischer

Strategy and Management Associate, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

Bio

Alyssa Fischer is the Strategy and Management Associate for WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. Alyssa leads WRI Cities’ engagement with the Habitat III process towards the goal of creating an actionable, measurable vision for the cities of the future through influence on international, national, and local policy development. She is responsible for external stakeholder engagement in the forthcoming World Resources Report on sustainable, equitable cities and manages in-kind partnerships for the Center. She also led the Center’s COP21 engagement and contributes to strategic management through the Center’s scaling strategy to reach new geographies. Alyssa is actively engaged with the Gender Working Group as well, working to integrate gender perspectives into sustainable cities projects.

Prior to joining WRI, Alyssa worked as a corporate sustainability consultant with ERM. In this role, she developed EHS and sustainability program strategies, composed sustainability reports and disclosures, and managed downstream recycling audits for corporations in a diversity of sectors, including utilities, biopharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and retail. She also performed carbon footprints and life cycle assessments for corporations in the pharmaceutical, consumer goods, manufacturing, environmental, and retail sectors. Other projects included the development and delivery of an internal sustainability education program for 400 of ERM’s top consultants in the US and Canada and the optimization of the hazardous waste program of one of the nation’s largest convenience store chains.

Alyssa holds a B.A. in Growth and Structure of Cities with a concentration in Sustainable Architecture from Bryn Mawr College and a M.S. in Sustainable Engineering from Villanova University. At Villanova she developed an holistic life cycle visualization tool that cross references environmental, social, and economic impacts against the value chain and relevant stakeholders of a project. She and her research partner delivered a TEDx talk on the project, which can be viewed at youtu.be/kEy92J3Y_So. Alyssa is currently working towards a certificate in Nonprofit Management from The George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and has also studied architecture in Copenhagen, Denmark and Hamburg, Germany.

Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys cycling, singing with her a cappella group, travel, and trying new recipes.

Blog Posts

Is the Tesla Model 3 Our Ride to a Sustainable Future?
by Eliot Metzger and Alyssa Fischer - July 11, 2017
Electric vehicles are cleaner, but they're only part of the climate solution.
Habitat III: Milestone for the World’s Cities or Business as Usual?
by Alyssa Fischer and Holger Dalkmann - October 28, 2016
Last week, 30,000 people gathered in Quito for Habitat III to adopt the New Urban Agenda, an influential vision for cities aimed at guiding national decision-making over the next 20 years while supporting the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Going forward, what does the Quito meeting mean for urban leaders?
Habitat III Introduces the New Urban Agenda to the World. Then What?
by Alyssa Fischer - October 14, 2016
The Habitat III conference next week will see more than 45,000 leaders, decision-makers and experts sign into force the New Urban Agenda for sustainable cities. But the Agenda and the Habitat process don't stand alone -- going forward, they will be part of intensified efforts to achieve sustainable, equal development and combat climate change.
Upcoming Habitat III Conference Offers Opportunity for Leaders to Set a New Urban Agenda
by Holger Dalkmann and Alyssa Fischer - April 14, 2015
Local, national and international leaders have come together this week in Nairobi, Kenya at Habitat III’s second Preparatory Committee. They’ll set priorities for urban development that will shape city actions for decades to come.
4 Women Leaders “Making it Happen” for Sustainable Cities
by Alyssa Fischer - March 06, 2015
International Women’s Day is on March 8, 2015, and this year’s theme is “Make It Happen.” Here are four women leaders working to improve city life by improving access to transport and jobs, making public spaces safer, improving environmental quality, or turning up the volume of their voices by increasing representation in government.

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Alyssa Fischer

Is the Tesla Model 3 Our Ride to a Sustainable Future?

Habitat III: Milestone for the World’s Cities or Business as Usual?

Habitat III Introduces the New Urban Agenda to the World. Then What?

Upcoming Habitat III Conference Offers Opportunity for Leaders to Set a New Urban Agenda

4 Women Leaders “Making it Happen” for Sustainable Cities

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Is the Tesla Model 3 Our Ride to a Sustainable Future?

Habitat III: Milestone for the World’s Cities or Business as Usual?

Habitat III Introduces the New Urban Agenda to the World. Then What?

Upcoming Habitat III Conference Offers Opportunity for Leaders to Set a New Urban Agenda

4 Women Leaders “Making it Happen” for Sustainable Cities

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