California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery’s (CalRecycle) Community Composting for Green Spaces Grant Program is funding community composting at hundreds of sites across California. In the first cycle of funding, the grant program awarded $1.5 million to the People, Food, and Land Foundation, which supported community composting at 117 sites throughout California, planted 488 trees, created 4,418 cubic yards of compost, and reduced emissions by 2,508 MTCO2e of GHG emissions. An additional $4.2 million was awarded to the California Alliance for Community Composting and LA Compost in the second cycle of the program. Through the establishment or expansion of community composting sites, communities receive benefits such as part time jobs and training on composting practices, fresh produce from adjacent gardens, training on farming practices, an increase in shade from tree planting, and the development of green spaces.
Cleaner Passenger Trains through the Capitol Corridor Rail Project
In 2019, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, in partnership with California Department of Transportation’s Division of Mass Transit, was selected by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to receive $7.4 million from the Community Air Protection program to help replace two diesel-powered locomotives with two new Siemens Charger Tier 4 locomotives. These locomotives are now operating on the Capitol Corridor line from Auburn-Sacramento to Silicon Valley and run through disadvantaged and low-income communities in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and more. The new locomotives achieve a 90 percent reduction in particulate matter emissions and an 80 percent reduction in oxides of nitrogen emissions compared to the old, higher-polluting locomotives.
Launching a New Capacity Building and Community Empowerment Project
The Partners Advancing Climate Equity (PACE) pilot program is a capacity-building program administered by the California Strategic Growth Council and funded by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The year-long pilot program began in 2021 and supported 22 participants – all local leaders deeply rooted in their communities across the state – and sought to increase their ability to advance equitable and community-driven climate solutions.
Climate Resilience Planning for Key Sacramento River Watersheds
Supported by $400,000 from the Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program, a coalition of federal, academic, non-profit and private organizations has developed a modeling tool to enhance climate adaptation and resilience planning in five Sacramento River watersheds. These watersheds provide the vast majority of California’s utilized water and over 80 percent of the freshwater to San Francisco Bay. By estimating the ecological returns of conservation and restoration efforts, the modeling tool will help determine what future actions and investments would best restore and protect the health of this important region.
Zero-Emission Forklifts Bring Air Pollution Reductions to Portside Communities
SSA Marine received $4.82 million from the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project, also known as CORE, to purchase 20 zero-emission forklifts and charging infrastructure for their locations in Stockton and West Sacramento. This equipment will help reduce greenhouse gases and air pollutants in census tracts that are heavily burdened by diesel particulate matter and other air pollutants.
Electric School Buses Benefit Students and Air Quality in Sacramento County
Restoring Wetlands in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta
The San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta is the cradle which nurtures the drinking water supply of more than 23 million Californians and much of the state’s farm land. But measurements show land on Sherman Island has sunk as much as 28 feet below sea level as the State’s population and demand for water have grown. That’s why California Climate Investments is providing more than $10 million to improve the situation.
Reclaimed Urban Wood Supports Small Businesses and Reduces Landfill Emissions
A $996,600 grant from California Climate Investments through the Urban and Community Forestry program will help Urban Salvaged and Reclaimed Woods, Inc. pilot a shared storefront project. This storefront will allow businesses handling salvaged wood from urban areas to combine resources to better process, market, and sell their products.
Urban Wood Rescue Project Trains Youth and Sequesters Carbon
Our Community CarShare Program Supports Low-Income Sacramentans
Training the Next Generation of Energy Efficiency Professionals in Sacramento
Volunteering as a Student Outreach Ambassador
Weatherization & Solar PV Project Benefits Low-Income Sacramento Residents
After facing increasingly unaffordable energy bills year-after-year, Milton, a Sacramento County resident, learned about the State’s low-income solar program offered through the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). He became interested in the program and was one of many residents that benefited from this assistance
Rolling Out the Largest Fleet of Zero-Emission School Buses in North America
With delivery of 10 new Lion Electric all‑electric school buses in December 2020, Twin Rivers Unified School District’s (TRUSD) fleet of 40 zero‑emission buses represents the largest deployment of zero‑emission school buses in North America. Several California Climate Investments programs, including Community Air Protection Incentives, played a crucial role in reaching this major milestone.