C3's 2023 Year in Review
At the Community Climate Collaborative (C3), our purpose is to make carbon-neutral communities a reality. Climate change can feel overwhelming, and it can be hard to see positive progress. That’s why we love working at the local level. Every day, we see individuals, businesses, and local decision-makers take action. 2023 was no exception. In many ways, it was our most impactful year yet.
C3 Communities Lead on Climate
This year, the City of Charlottesville moved from planning to action. City Council passed a Climate Action Plan in January and set to work to achieve its goals:
Designated $5 million in its budget to climate initiatives, including LED street light conversions, increased transit frequency, new climate positions on staff, and a $1 million fund for capital initiatives.
Launched a municipal gas decarbonization study to be concluded in 2024.
Analyzed future fuel options for its transit fleet and will vote to adopt early in 2024.
Prioritized climate action by creating the Office of Sustainability as a direct report to the City Manager.
Albemarle County embraced its role in the clean energy transition:
Approved the Woodridge Solar project which will generate enough clean energy to power 30,000 homes.
Launched Micro Cat on-demand shuttle service to reduce transportation emissions and improve community mobility.
Prioritized climate in its Comprehensive Plan process, which will conclude in 2024.
Local Businesses Crackdown on Carbon
One-third of local greenhouse gas emissions come from commercial buildings. C3 facilitates solutions for businesses to help them save energy and embrace climate leadership:
C3’s Green Business Alliance (GBA) expanded to 25 businesses, including the UVA Community Credit Union, Piedmont Housing Alliance, and Martin Horn Construction. Each business set a goal to reduce its emissions by at least 30% in five years.
Founding GBA members announced greenhouse gas reductions of 34% in just two years.
12 local BIPOC-owned businesses received energy efficiency grants totaling $20,000 and slashing emissions. These 12 businesses will save $5,000 a year on energy costs.
Local Youth Lead the Way
Our kids will inherit our action or in action on climate change, but they aren’t content to sit on the sidelines. C3 supported them through our programs this year:
Delivered 1,400 climate activity kits to Albemarle County fourth graders and Charlottesville fifth graders. This is C3’s third consecutive year of partnership with local public schools.
Six area teens completed internships where they learned about local climate policy, climate communications, and community organizing.
Partnered with Light House Studio to launch an annual Climate Film Challenge to give students a creative outlet for climate action.
C3 teen interns are working to complete a documentary on methane leaks from Charlottesville’s municipal gas system.
C3 Created Scalable Tools to Center Climate Justice
When Albemarle County was considering approval for Woodridge Solar, the C3 team looked for a way to evaluate the project centered on climate and social justice. When we couldn’t find one, we built it. We released our Solar Climate Justice Scorecard in the spring of 2023. This open-source tool can be used to evaluate utility-scale solar projects across the county. To date, the Scorecard has been:
Used Albemarle County Board of Supervisors in their approval of Woodridge Solar.
Cited by the Massachusetts Department of Energy as an effective tool to evaluate projects.
Cited by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as an important tool to evaluate community engagement around solar siting.
C3 Advocated for Zero-Emission Buses
The City of Charlottesville is poised to make its first decision to transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy. Charlottesville Area Transit studied the future fuel of its transit system this year, but a shift to clean energy was not a foregone conclusion. The City erroneously elevated compressed natural gas (CNG) as a viable alternative. The C3 team worked alongside community partners to advocate for zero-emissions transit:
More than 600 residents signed C3’s petition.
26 organizations endorsed C3’s recommendations.
Dozens of individuals advocated at City Council meetings.
Released C3’s own evaluation of fuel choices for transit systems.
The final vote will take place in early 2024.
Party for the Planet becomes an Annual Event
C3’s first Party for the Planet in 2022 was so successful that we decided to make it an annual event. With lots of opportunities for attendees to take action on climate, learn about our partners, and support social justice, the second annual event was just as much fun as the first:
400+ attendees
19 community partners featured
12 Climate Leadership Awards recognized
C3 Grows to Richmond
After careful stakeholder engagement, planning, and fundraising, C3 grew its operations to serve the City of Richmond. We are now a multi-city, locally-focused climate organization. Thanks to the support of several local funders, our early plans to serve Richmond include:
Recruiting a Richmond-based cohort of the C3’s Green Business Alliance.
Analyzing the distribution of energy burden by census track in partnership with the City of Richmond.
Supporting the work of Richmond-based social justice and climate justice organizations.