San Francisco Wins $1 Million EPA Award to Support Community-Led Climate Action

***PRESS RELEASE***

San Francisco Wins $1 Million EPA Award to Support Community-Led Climate Action

The funds will empower communities to take the driver’s seat in transforming their neighborhoods with urban greening, workforce development, and other environmental projects.

San Francisco, CA–The San Francisco Environment Department (SFE) has been awarded a million-dollar grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Government-to-Government (EJG2G) program to support the City’s environmental justice work. The EJG2G program provides funding for community-led activities that lead to positive environmental or public health impacts in communities that have been disproportionately burdened by environmental harms. San Francisco’s proposal, which mapped out a process for ensuring equitable distribution of the benefits of climate action, received the largest grant award possible.

"In San Francisco, our long history of environmental justice and climate resilience has paved the way for a healthier, cleaner, and more sustainable city and set an example for others to follow," said San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed. "As we work toward meeting our climate goals, we must continue to invest in and partner with communities to ensure that equity and racial justice are at the forefront of all that we do. This award reflects our commitments and will allow us to further our mission of creating a climate-resilient city that meets the needs of all San Franciscans. I want to thank the EPA and the Biden Administration for this award and their continued support of our City."

One of the City’s most aggressive goals is to achieve net zero emissions by 2040—an effort that began long before the release of the City’s 2021 Climate Action Plan, with an approach aimed at improving environmental conditions for the City’s most marginalized residents. In 2000, SFE launched one of the nation’s first municipal Environmental Justice Programs and worked with community leaders to design a grant program to distribute $13 million in funds to help mitigate the environmental impacts of Hunters Point and Potrero Point power plants—two now-decommissioned high-polluting power plants in San Francisco’s District 10. 

Since then, SFE has provided grants to dozens of community-based organizations, including PODER and Literacy for Environmental Justice, two grassroots organizations providing decades of service to underserved communities. Grant funds have been used for a range of environmental justice projects including workforce development programs, solar photovoltaic installations on community-serving facilities, and the establishment of community gardens. 

The G2G grant stands out from other environmental justice awards the City has received because it focuses on building relationships with EJ communities, ensuring they have a voice in the City’s efforts towards electrification, greening, and decarbonization. 

“Opportunities like this fill me with hope,” says Tyrone Jue, Director of the Environment Department. “Environmental justice is an essential climate strategy, and our City is moving in the right direction. We must continue our work with our communities to ensure that those who have historically been excluded from the decision-making process participate in shaping and benefiting from the changes ahead. I’m excited to see the projects our communities advance.”

The award comes on the tails of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)’s announcement that San Francisco has topped the 2024 City Clean Energy Scorecard. The prestigious ranking is the City’s second consecutive Number One, surpassing 75 of the largest U.S. cities—due in in large part to San Francisco’s environmental justice efforts. SFE will use the funds from the G2G grant to advance its EJ work by convening EJ communities to identify solutions and priorities specific to their needs. This includes offering grants and incentives to community-based organizations and small businesses to implement climate justice projects, as well as leveraging insights from community-led efforts to inform and shape the implementation of the city’s Environmental Justice Framework. 

The Framework which was incorporated by reference in the City’s General Plan was adopted by the Board of Supervisors in May 2023 and is the City’s local implementation of SB 1000, which requires that cities and counties adopt policies to address environmental justice.

The San Francisco Climate Action Plan, developed through extensive public engagement, charts a bold path for the City to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by addressing racial and social equity, public health, economic recovery, resilience, and providing safe and affordable housing to all. Click here to read the Plan.

###