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The “Defending and Advancing California’s Leadership in Climate Action” keynote panel at the California Climate Action Grantee Convening. Left to right: moderator Julianne McCall (California Council on Science and Technology), Samuel Assefa (Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation), Yana Garcia (CalEPA), Ben Allen (California State Senator), and Steve Monfort (UC Natural Reserve System). |
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Starting the Year Strong with Professional Development |
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California Climate Investments staff recently attended serval events to deepen their knowledge of statewide climate case studies, policies, and research. In January, staff member Johanna Roth, who oversees several of our sustainable communities programs, attended the Bay Area Transit Summit. Throughout the event, Johanna gained insight into how micro-mobility projects take different forms depending on which communities they are serving and the types of transportation gaps they face.
One of the event’s presentations highlighted the Bayview Community Shuttle, which was funded by California Climate Investments through the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP). The shuttle connects users to any destination within the community and provides residents with workforce development opportunities. Decades of structural and institutional racism has led to a lack of transportation investments in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco, isolating residents from jobs, services, and crucial opportunities. The community shuttle helps to address these mobility challenges, while also reducing local emissions. Johanna was excited to hear from different practitioners about the implementation of equitable mobility projects, especially those that are part of the California Climate Investments family. |
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Javaun Garcia, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), presenting on the Bayview Community Shuttle. |
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In February, two California Climate Investments staff, Nicole Hernandez and Kelsey Craig, attended the California Climate Action Initiative State Agency Briefing and Grantee Convening in Sacramento. This convening celebrated University of California and California State University researchers that were collectively awarded $100 million through the California Climate Action Initiative. The funded research focuses on action-oriented solutions to address California’s climate goals and needs, ensuring that local communities are prepared and resilient. Many projects focused particularly on marginalized communities most vulnerable to climate impacts.
Nicole and Kelsey both manage research projects, so this event was particularly useful for them to learn from researchers in the field of climate action and climate justice. A highlight of the convening was a presentation from Dr. Megan Jennings with San Diego State University. Dr. Jennings discussed how their project team was able to strengthen their research with community-based participatory methods, especially through partnerships with California Native American Tribes. Nicole and Kelsey were inspired to learn about this project’s contributions to climate action through research collaborations, co-capacity building, and funding for demonstration projects, training and workforce development, and entrepreneurship training.
Stay tuned for other professional development and outreach events that California Climate Investments staff attend throughout the year!
If you would like to suggest an event for us to join, please let us know! Reach out to info@caclimateinvestments.ca.gov or call us at 1-800-757-2907.
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Announcements and Updates |
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Release of Priority Populations Benefit
Assessment Tools and Reporting Tools Hub |
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The benefit assessment tools are now available for use to help agencies and applicants determine if a California Climate Investments project benefits a priority population. Benefit assessment tools were developed through an interagency and public process and can be found on our new reporting tools hub. The reporting tools hub was developed to help agencies and other users easily navigate California Climate Investments’ reporting materials by filtering materials by project type, program, or agency. In addition to benefit assessment tools, the page contains the most up to date quantification methodologies, calculator tools, and reporting templates. |
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Photo courtesy of Save the Redwoods League. |
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New Regional Wage Guidance Launched |
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CARB has developed guidance to support administering agencies and grantees of California Climate Investments in determining median wage across California’s counties. One of California Climate Investments’ job quality principles is for employers to provide wages that allow a person to live comfortably in the region where the job is located. CARB’s new supplemental guidance calculates median wage using the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s Official State Income Limits data and includes additional direction for jobs subject to prevailing wage. Administering agencies can use this median wage guidance and other job quality principles in the Funding Guidelines to establish selection criteria in solicitations and to develop guiding materials for their California Climate Investments programs. These efforts can help incentivize applicants to work with employers that provide high-quality jobs and uplift job quality for those employed to complete work on California Climate Investments projects. |
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Contracting Opportunity: Help Us Design a
Framework for Program and Project Evaluation |
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California Climate Investments is looking for a contractor to help us design an approach to program and project evaluation. At present, California Climate Investments collects information when projects are awarded funding and occasionally collects data as projects are implemented. This data helps us estimate the expected greenhouse gas emissions reductions from funded projects, and model other projected co-benefits such as trees planted, jobs created, and transportation cost savings. We’re now looking to collect information on the realized impacts of our funded projects and are seeking support in designing our approach. We encourage all interested individuals and firms to apply. |
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California High-Speed Rail Economic Impact Analysis |
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The California High-Speed Rail Authority has released its 2024 Economic Impact Analysis, showing that $13 billion in investment has generated nearly $22 billion in total economic activity. Funded in part by California Climate Investments, the project has created approximately 109,000 job-years of employment, with two-thirds of spending benefiting priority populations. Future phases are expected to generate even greater economic and workforce benefits as construction continues. Benefits can be further maximized by other California Climate Investments programs like the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program that seek to integrate projects into the High-Speed Rail transit system. |
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Healthy Soils Program Public Comment Period Now Open |
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The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program utilizes California Climate Investments funds to help farmers, ranchers, and tribal governments adopt practices that improve soil health and store carbon. During the summer of 2024, CDFA received 15 proposals for the inclusion of new soil health practices into the program. The proposals include biochar application to improve soil fertility, orchard grazing for natural weed control, microbial treatments to enhance nutrient availability, and many other innovative ideas. If you are interested in providing input on the proposed practices, stay tuned to the Healthy Soils program website for upcoming public comment opportunities. |
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Opportunities for Funding |
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Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities
Round 9 Final Guidelines Adopted |
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The Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, administered by the Strategic Growth Council, has released its Round 9 Program Guidelines. Funded by California Climate Investments, the program provides grants for affordable housing developments, sustainable transportation infrastructure, and related projects, with at least 50% of investments benefiting disadvantaged communities. The program will be open to solicitations when the Notice of Funding Availability is released in May 2025. |
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Multi-Family Energy Efficiency and Renewables Grant Applications |
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The Multi-Family Energy Efficiency and Renewables program offers ongoing application and funding cycles to support energy efficiency upgrades and solar installations in low-income multi-family housing. These projects help reduce energy costs, improve building efficiency, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. As of May 2024, the program has awarded over $101 million, implemented more than 12,000 projects, and reduced energy use in participating properties by an average of 40%. |
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| California Climate Investment
in Action |
| additional projects underway across the state. |
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Photo courtesy of California Conservation Corps. |
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With support from California Climate Investments, the California Conservation Corps (CCC) is reducing wildfire risks by removing hazardous fuels in Paradise, Lake Tahoe, and Arcadia as part of the Training and Workforce Development Program. Through fuels reduction projects, Corpsmembers have treated over 90 acres of fire-prone land, creating defensible space and improving community safety. These efforts not only protect residents but also provide young adults with hands-on experience in forestry and wildfire mitigation, preparing them for careers in fire management and conservation. |
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Photo courtesy of CALFIRE. |
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Wildfires have burned over 40% of Butte County in the past decade, destroying homes, communities, and vital forestland. Since 2021, the Butte County Fire Safe Council has been restoring nearly 10,000 acres of forest with over $22 million in California Climate Investments funding, granted by CAL FIRE’s Forest Health program. When the Park Fire raged across northern Butte County, efforts to reduce fuels aided firefighters in diverting the blaze from residences and saving mature trees. Using techniques like thinning, mastication, reforestation, and prescribed burns, these efforts are reducing hazardous fuels and strengthening wildfire resilience. Through continued investment in wildfire mitigation, the Butte County Fire Safe Council is helping to protect communities and ensure forest health for the future. |
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Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District (RivCoParks) has been awarded $1.7 million through CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grants program, funded in part by California Climate Investments, to reduce wildfire risk in the Santa Ana River bottom. The project will focus on long-term vegetation management to control invasive plants, decrease fuel loads, and protect sensitive natural resources. These efforts aim to enhance wildfire resilience for nearby communities while restoring ecological health. |
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The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency launched the Bayview Community Shuttle to expand transit options in Bayview-Hunters Point. Funded by the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project with support from California Climate Investments, the electric shuttle service has completed nearly 5,000 trips in its first three months, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve mobility in the community. The service will be available through at least 2026, and riders can use an app to request a shared ride within Bayview. |
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Transform launched the Car Sharing and Mobility Hubs Pilot Project to expand access to shared and active transportation in San Jose and East Oakland. Funded by the Clean Mobility Options program with support from California Climate Investments, the project provided electric vehicle (EV) car sharing, public transit passes, and ride-hailing credits to help reduce transportation costs and emissions. As the pilot ends, Transform and its partners are conducting a community-led evaluation to assess its impact and inform future mobility initiatives. A final report will be released in spring 2025. |
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California Climate Investments Has a New Intern! |
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We’re excited to welcome a new student intern into the California Climate Investments family! Cassie Zhang is a fourth-year PhD candidate in economics at the University of California, Irvine. She specializes in empirical industrial organization, transportation economics, and applied econometrics, and has prior experience modeling determinants of EV purchasing decisions and impacts of California’s EV policies. In her spare time, Cassie loves immersing herself in nature—feeling the breeze, smelling the flowers, and simply soaking in the beauty around her. During her spring academic term, Cassie will be joining the Climate Investments Benefits Section to support in exploring the benefits of California Climate Investments to priority populations. Please join us in welcoming Cassie to the team! |
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