Climate Mayors and City-Led Organizations Submit Letter to EPA on How to Shape the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
Climate Mayors, along with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities, submitted a request for information (RFI) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of cities to provide feedback on the program design and implementation of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) passed in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This $27 billion in funding over the next two years provides a first-of-its-kind national program to mobilize financing and leverage private capital for clean energy and climate projects that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while also emphasizing projects that benefit low-income and disadvantaged communities. The GGRF builds on the successes of state and local green banks and other investment funds that leverage limited public funds to attract private investment while helping to foster an inclusive green economy through job creation and equitable access to low-cost energy upgrades. As organizations who advocate for the investment in local level climate action to achieve our national climate goals, we recommend that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) use the following high-level principles to implement the GHGRF equitably and in alignment with President Biden’s Justice40 initiative (J40):
Defining low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Ensure funding flows directly to local governments.
Coordinate with existing State programs and federal research resources to support technical assistance and capacity building for local governments.
Prioritize investments and benefits in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Conduct a gap-analysis to determine eligible projects and maximize GHG reducing projects.
Read the full letter and recommendations therein HERE.
Signed,
Climate Mayors
National League of Cities
The U.S. Conference of Mayors