Growing Together: C3 Expands to Richmond!
Since 2017, C3 has served the communities of Charlottesville and Albermarle County, VA. Based on our belief that climate action starts at the local level, we’ve advised local policymakers to make climate-smart decisions, produced groundbreaking research, and helped businesses commit to (and achieve!) deep emissions reductions. In 2023, C3 announced its expansion to Richmond, VA alongside the hiring of full-time staff based in the capital. Now, months later, C3 has hit the ground running, hard at work on a variety of projects and initiatives.
Check out the blog below to learn more about what C3 has already accomplished in RVA and what we’re working on next!
Greening Richmond’s Business Sector
This past April, C3 hosted its official kickoff event in Richmond with our Business in Climate event. The sold-out event, hosted at the Quirk Hotel, convened a panel of local leaders including Michael Smart (City of Richmond), Kelli Lemon (Urban Hang Suite, VA Black Restaurant Experience), Sydney Covey (STRUCTR Advisors), and Andrew Green (Crooked Tree Consulting). The group discussed RVA's climate plan, how climate solutions translate to local actions that benefit businesses, and new opportunities for climate action in Richmond's business community. Attendees made new connections as they bonded over shared experiences and interest in sustainable business practices.
Figure 1: Left: C3 Climate Services Manager Jacqui Bauer and Michael Smart, the City of Richmond’s Sustainability Engagement Coordinator
Right: attendees listen in at C3’s Business of Climate event in April.
Next, the Corporate Sustainability team - in partnership with the City of Richmond and DOE’s Communities LEAP program - will work on mapping and analyzing commercial buildings in Richmond, ultimately providing tailored energy solutions to local businesses. The team will also begin recruitment for a Richmond Green Business Alliance, which will expand and replicate the model established by C3 in Charlottesville.
Planting the Seeds of Energy Equity
This summer, C3’s Policy Team kicked off an ambitious energy burden study in Richmond. Energy burden refers to the percentage of one’s income spent on home energy costs, such as gas and electricity. The study, in partnership with the City of Richmond’s Office of Sustainability, will analyze neighborhood-level data to understand energy burden disparities across the city and create an interactive map for the public to use. The City of Richmond has historically struggled with housing and energy affordability; by analyzing a variety of factors impacting one’s vulnerability to energy burden (infrastructure, barriers to energy efficiency upgrades, economic hardship, among others), C3 will produce a holistic set of policy and advocacy recommendations that work to mitigate these impacts.
Figure 2: A highlight from C3’s Charlottesville study, highlighting differences in energy burden between student dominated and non-student dominated areas. Engaging with the unique demographic characteristics of an area provides a more nuanced analysis.
This work will not be done alone. C3 will partner with community-based organizations to share findings, gain feedback, and hear from community members directly about their experiences with energy affordability. Energy affordability touches many issues, including housing insecurity, historic zoning and planning, and urban heat islands. The study will serve as a starting point for C3 to delve into Richmond’s rich advocacy landscape, better understand the issues affecting everyday residents, and contribute to the important climate work being done in the Commonwealth’s capital.
Stay tuned for opportunities to engage later this summer and fall!