Today's Events
10:00am - The Climate Leader Designation Experience: A Sustainable CT Webinar
As a proud participant in Connecticut Sustainability & Resiliency Week, Sustainable CT will host a unique webinar featuring three outstanding municipal recipients of our Climate Leader Designation: Manchester, Old Saybrook and New Haven.
The Sustainable CT Climate Leader Designation celebrates Connecticut towns that are actively reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions and preparing their communities for the impacts of climate change, while saving money, improving public health, and building community.
Sustainability leaders will share strategies, accomplishments and lessons learned in pursuit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing resilience to climate change in their communities. This is an excellent opportunity for municipal administrators and sustainability teams to learn best practices and benefit from the experience of these pacesetting towns.
12:30pm - DEEP Climate Resilience Event in Meriden
Join us for an in-person event in the Meriden Town Green Amphitheater! We'll be hosting a walking tour of the Green as well as a Roundtable event at City Hall. DEEP is releasing a request for information to inform how the next round of the DEEP Climate Resilience Fund along with other DEEP-related resilience funding initiatives and sources. Special guests include Kevin Scarpati, Mayor of Meriden, and Commissioner Katie Dykes, CT DEEP.
1:00pm - Rebuild by Design’s Atlas of Accountability Webinar
UConn's Center for Land Use Education and Research and Connecticut Sea Grant present a webinar by Rebuild by Design on their new Atlas of Accountability. As extreme weather continues to impact the U.S., Rebuild by Design has launched the Atlas of Accountability, a mapping tool designed to help communities and policymakers understand their localized climate-fueled exposure to extreme weather disasters. Building on Rebuild by Design’s 2022 report, “Atlas of Disaster,” this tool analyzes county-level extreme weather disaster declarations and post-disaster federal assistance. The analysis highlights the urgency of bipartisan cooperation and the need to unite across the urban-rural divide. Notably, 91% of congressional districts include a county that received a major disaster declaration for extreme weather between 2011 and 2023, with $106.4 billion in federal post-disaster assistance from FEMA and HUD CDBG-DR.
1:00pm - EPA Clean School Bus Program: Joint Office Technical Assistance Webinar Series
Authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion over five years to replace school buses with low- and zero-emission school buses. Additionally, NREL’s $5 million Clean Bus Planning Awards Program provides free technical assistance to create comprehensive and customized bus electrification plans for fleets.
2:00pm - FEMA BRIC Program Overview
Authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion over five years to replace school buses with low- and zero-emission school buses. Additionally, NREL’s $5 million Clean Bus Planning Awards Program provides free technical assistance to create comprehensive and customized bus electrification plans for fleets.
Register Now for Tomorrow's InPerson Events!
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.
Grant Highlight
Electric Bicycle (eBike) Incentive Program - Applications close 10/1!
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has launched the second round of its popular eBike Voucher Program, offering Connecticut residents an opportunity to purchase a new electric bike with substantial incentives. Eligible residents can receive up to $1,250 in vouchers, with priority given to income-qualified individuals and those living in environmental justice communities. The application portal is open now and will close on October 1, 2024, at 8 p.m. Be sure to apply early, as vouchers are awarded via a lottery system and will provide access to clean transportation options while improving air quality in Connecticut. Learn more and apply here.
Organization Highlights
Sustainable CT
Sustainable CT is a voluntary certification program to recognize thriving and resilient Connecticut municipalities. An independently funded, grassroots, municipal effort, Sustainable CT provides a wide-ranging menu of best practices. Municipalities choose Sustainable CT actions, implement them, and earn points toward certification.
Sustainable CT also provides opportunities for grant funding to help communities promote economic well-being and enhance equity, all while respecting the finite capacity of the natural environment. The program is designed to support all Connecticut municipalities, regardless of size, geography or resources. Sustainable CT empowers municipalities to create high collective impact for current and future residents.
Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation
The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is dedicated to enhancing the resilience and sustainability of communities facing the growing impacts of climate change on natural, built, and human environments. CIRCA brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts to develop practical solutions for climate-related challenges, with a focus on Connecticut’s coastal and inland floodplain communities. Current programming includes research to improve scientific understanding of climate impacts, the development of best practices for resilience, and pilot projects aimed at protecting both ecosystems and infrastructure. Through collaboration and education, CIRCA fosters climate-literate, adaptive communities that can mitigate the risks posed by severe weather and environmental change.
Office of Policy & Management
450 Capitol Avenue Hartford, CT 06106
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