Community Climate Collaborative

Community engagement - in october 2023, c3 hosted its second annual "party for the planet'' event. The evening drew over 400 attendees representing a range of demographics. We showcased 15 Community partner organizations and recognized 11 individuals and nonprofits championing local Climate and justice efforts. In the summer of 2023, we hosted a trilogy of "impact maker" webinars designed for Climate action novices, experts, and everything in between. Featuring field experts as guest speakers, we discussed topics spanning from at-home composting to solar solutions for homes and businesses. In addition to virtual events, we organized several in-person meet-ups around charlottesville and one in the town of scottsville. These gatherings foster Community, connecting like-minded individuals to inspire Climate action.green business alliance in may 2023, us representative jennifer mcclellan helped c3 welcome 10 new members for a total of 25 to our green business alliance (gba). The second gba cohort consists of the university of Virginia credit union, westminster canterbury, martin horn, selc, piedmont housing alliance, catec, hexagon energy, pediatrics association of charlottesville, east point energy, and thistlerock mead company. Their shared mission is a 45% ghg reduction by 2027. The third gba cohort, to be launched in 2024, will consist of richmond-based businesses. Through a myriad of actions, including relocating to energy-efficient buildings, installing solar panels, upgrading lighting, and even programming thermostats, four members of the inaugural gba cohort have reached their 45% reduction goal in less than three years cfa institute, qim, the center, and inbio. To date, the first gba cohort has reached a 34% reduction in collective ghg, and we are confident that all will achieve the target by 2025. Not to be overlooked, a few gba leaders hold positions on state-wide boards, opening doors for change, not only at the local level but throughout Virginia.

Empowering future Climate leaders c3's youth leadership campaign has evolved to ensure comprehensive skill-building for and meaningful engagement of area youth. C3 youth internships offer a structured program that equips teens with the tools and knowledge to be successful nonprofit leaders. The internship program provides an immersive training experience for local high school students by shadowing each team member and actively participating in every aspect of c3's work. From researching grant opportunities and drafting mock letters of intent (lois) to writing and publishing letters to the editor (ltes), they have honed their skills while learning to effectively advocate for Climate change. C3 pays a stipend of $15/hour to all high school interns, ensuring that financial consideration does not limit their engagement and growth. To date, we have employed five interns through this program and are recruiting for the fall term.

Policy - local Climate advocacy has always been a central pillar of our work. One of c3's first major campaigns focused on rallying charlottesville and albemarle Community members for leadership-level carbon neutrality goals. In march 2019, c3 delivered letters to the charlottesville city councilors and albemarle board of supervisors, endorsed by almost 1,000 residents, 7 schools, and 41 businesses and nonprofits. Consequently, both the city and county committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.passing charlottesville's Climate action plan since 2019, c3 has consistently engaged with city staff to ensure our Community remained on track to reaching its Climate goals. When the city released its draft Climate action plan (cap) in november 2022, c3 promptly published a sign-on letter containing 14 key recommendations collaboratively developed with local community-based organizations and trusted Community leaders. With 327 signatures, we surpassed our goal and emphasized the Community's desire for Climate solutions that address both justice and sustainability. January 2023, the city council unanimously adopted the cap as part of the comprehensive plan, an essential step to integrate Climate action into all major and minor future decisions. Additionally, the city voted to allocate nearly $5 million to Climate initiatives in its fiscal year 2023/2024, including $3 million to improve public transit based on c3's recommendations. These major milestones were a direct result of c3's engagement with city staff, both in front of and behind the scenes.modernizing municipality codes as the city's cap gained traction last january, our Community encountered a challenge when first united methodist was denied solar panels by the board of architectural review (bar). The church's request to remove the original slate roof tiles and install solar panels violated local codes that hadn't been updated in over 20 years. The bar's decision was in direct conflict with the city's commitment to mitigating Climate change. In response, c3's executive director published a letter to the editor in the daily progress, highlighting this issue and the need for change. Ultimately, charlottesville city council approved the church's appeal to the bar and approved the solar installation. However, there is still an urgent need to align municipality codes with Climate efforts. Charlottesville is currently rewriting its zoning codes, and the c3 team will monitor to ensure that unnecessary and outdated barriers to Climate action are removed.accelerating clean energy adoptionin february 2023, c3 released our groundbreaking solar Climate justice scorecard to address inconsistencies in solar regulation in Virginia and across the country. This first-of-its-kind, open-source tool holistically assesses the environmental and equity aspects of on- and off-site solar projects. C3 used the scorecard to assess hexagon energy's woodridge solar project, a proposed solar farm that would generate enough electricity to power 30,000 homes in albemarle county. We ultimately backed the project, launching an advocacy campaign that garnered the support of 439 Community members. This effort influenced the county board of supervisors to grant hexagon a special-use permit and pave the way for thousands of homes to have clean energy. Over the next year, we will continue to refine our solar scorecard. We have already received requests from additional localities, including blacksburg, va, for their Community solar project. We plan to train local decision-makers and Climate advocates on how to use the tool through webinars and workshops.