Governor's Spotlight
We were honored to have Governor Ned Lamont join us at the Sustainability and Resiliency Week Celebration, hosted by Sustainable CT. His presence underscored the administration’s steadfast commitment to supporting sustainability and resiliency initiatives across the state. Under his leadership, Connecticut has made significant strides in advancing climate action, environmental justice, and innovative solutions to build a more resilient future.
You can view Governor Lamont's message below:
Today's Events
11:00am - CT DAS: Buildings & Transportation Efficiency Webinar
Please join the Department of Administrative Service's (DAS) presentation on their efforts towards Connecticut's sustainability and climate goals. The presentation will cover efforts on decarbonization/energy efficiency, solar PV, transportation, water and waste conservation, and more.
12:30pm - Sustainability and Innovation in Mystic's Business Community
As unpredictable rainstorms and heat waves make news in Connecticut, sustainability and climate resilience are topics of discussion among our business leaders. Join us for an in-person panel discussion to hear how three unique Stonington businesses are fulfilling their missions and implementing changes for the future. Hear how sustainability, including energy efficiency and renewable energy, is important to their businesses, the Mystic area, and key economic drivers like tourism, agriculture, and more.
2:00pm - UConn Climate Corps: Climate Adaptation Projects in Communities
The UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) and Connecticut Sea Grant present this webinar about the Climate Corps program – where undergraduate students learn from extension professionals and apply that knowledge to climate adaptation projects with municipal or community partners throughout the region. We will hear from former students about their experience in the program, and a community partner from the Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed will speak about how working with the Climate Corps has benefited their organization. Learn more about our program and how we could partner with your organization!
2:00pm - Funding and Financing Coastal Resilience: Spotlight on Public-Private Partnerships
Join the NOAA Office for Coastal Management to learn about the Clean Water Partnership, a community-based, public-private partnership. Roland Jones, market director for the mid-Atlantic region of Corvias Infrastructure Solutions and former director of the Office of Central Services for Prince George’s County, helped develop this initiative. He will define public-private partnerships and share how the Clean Water Partnership was formed to address stormwater challenges and build green jobs for community members.
3:00pm - Modeling Nature-based Solutions for Decision Making
Transforming global climate data into actionable information to support local resilience strategies remains a challenge for communities. Additionally, community stakeholders, when deciding on adaptation interventions, can have varying perceptions of potential benefits.
This webinar episode will share two projects that support the resilience and adaptation planning decision making process. The first will feature a project lead by CAP’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (MARISA) team that developed and applied a dual-drainage model to evaluate future flood hazards under climate change and support the development of equity-driven, resilient green infrastructure systems in the face of deep uncertainty in the Mid-Atlantic region.The framework and methods used to support decision making under deep uncertainty with respect to extreme rainfall and green infrastructure at local and watershed scales are being used to help guide similar efforts in other communities and regions.
The second project, funded by AdSci, focused on answering how diverse stakeholders, from empowered decision-makers to at-risk groups impacted by decisions, perceive and prioritize the benefits, consequences, and trade-offs of shoreline Social Ecological Systems (SESs) and adaptation decisions.
4:00pm - Conceptual Frameworks and New Frontiers in Energy Justice
Professor Sovacool is the Director of the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) and a Professor in the Department of Earth & Environment. He works as a researcher and consultant on issues pertaining to global energy policy and politics, energy security, energy justice, climate change mitigation, and climate change adaptation. His research focuses on renewable energy and energy efficiency, the politics of largescale energy infrastructure, designing public policy to improve energy security and access to electricity, the ethics and justice of energy, and building adaptive capacity to the consequences of climate change.
The lecture will be held in-person in Konover Auditorium at the Dodd Center for Human Rights (https://doddcenter.humanrights.uconn.edu/). No registration is required.
If you cannot attend in person, the lecture will also be live- streamed. Information about viewing the livestream will be posted on the Teale website (environment.institute.uconn.edu) prior to the event.
Register Now for Tomorrow's InPerson Events!
12:30pm - Tour of WINDEA Offshore Crew Transfer & HeliService Demonstration
The Connecticut Wind Collaborative invites you to a tour of the WINDEA Offshore Crew Transfer Vessel & HeliService Demonstration.
2:00pm - Visit Camels Reef - A Living Shoreline (Reef Ball) Site Visit at Conn College
Join Professor Maria Rosa from Connecticut College and Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve Stewardship Coordinator Dr. Jason Krumholz for a site visit and discussion at the “Camel’s Reef” Living Shoreline adjacent to Connecticut College’s arboretum. This one hour program will include a tour of the site and explanation of the project’s history and future directions, as well as a discussion of how living shorelines and “Reef Ball” artificial reefs fit into our restoration and coastal resilience toolbox.
Grant Highlights
DEEP Brownfields Grant Availability - Applications close 11/22!
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce the availability of funding under DEEP’s CERCLA 128(a) Grant Program, Round 2, and is inviting applicants that are municipalities or non-profit entities to apply. Applications will be accepted until noon on Friday, November 22, 2024, and awards will be announced in January 2025. To learn more and to access the application form, please visit DEEP’s website.
IRA Community Change Grant - Applications close 11/21!
EPA’s new Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants program (Community Change Grants) has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for approximately $2 billion dollars in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds in environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. These place-based investments will be focused on community-driven initiatives to be responsive to community and stakeholder input. They are designed to deliver on the transformative potential of the IRA for communities most adversely and disproportionately impacted by climate change, legacy pollution, and historical disinvestments. Applications are due November 21, 2024. To learn more and apply, please visit the IRA website.
Organization Highlights
Long Island Sound Study
The Long Island Sound Study (LISS) is inviting public input on the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) draft, which will guide the conservation of Long Island Sound for the next 10 years. The draft plan will be open for a 60-day public comment period starting September 23, 2024, and focuses on key goals such as clean waters, thriving habitats, resilient communities, and public engagement. If you live, work, or play in the region, this is your chance to help shape future conservation efforts and ensure environmental challenges important to you are addressed. Attend a public meeting or submit your comments by emailing LISoundPlan2025@gmail.com to have your voice heard.
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