San Francisco’s Department of the Environment (SF Environment) recently announced the availability of US$2m in community grant funding for projects that support the city’s climate action plan.
The city’s plan seeks to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the year 2040. It intends to do this by: reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to buildings and waste; sequestering emissions through community greening and compost application; reducing the level of toxics in the environment, and engaging youth, residents, businesses, and other stakeholders.
“Equitable climate action provides a variety of co-benefits for our San Francisco communities,” said Tyrone Jue, acting director for SF Environment. “It improves health outcomes, creates green jobs, provides food resources to those in need, and strengthens neighborhood resiliency.”
Grants will be awarded to community-based organizations in the following categories:
- Category 1 – Environmental Justice/Building Decarbonisation: a total of $450,000 for increasing the capacity of community-based organizations to participate in building electrification;
- Category 2 – Zero Waste/SB-1383 Procuring Compost for Agriculture: a total of $500,000 to procure compost and support small local farmers by providing them with compost and/or mulch to support healthy farming practices and maximize their soil’s ability to sequester carbon;
- Category 3 – Zero Waste/SB-1383 Urban Compost Activation: a total of $130,000 to promote compost use within San Francisco through community-based outreach, education, and compost giveaway events;
- Category 4 – Zero Waste/General: a total of $720,000 for projects that moves San Francisco toward its ambitious zero waste goals;
- Category 5 – Pollution Prevention: a total of $75,000 for projects that reduce San Franciscans exposures to toxic chemicals;
- Category 6 – Community Greening: a total of $100,000 for community greening; and
- Category 7 – Youth Education: a total of $25,000 for projects that provide youth education and development on zero waste and its connection to climate change.
“We must partner with and invest in our communities to meet our city’s bold climate goals,” said the mayor of San Francisco, London Breed. “By focusing our climate grants towards communities with worsening pollution conditions, we meet our Climate Action Plan’s values of ensuring that a low-carbon and healthy future is equitable and accessible to all San Franciscans.”