Policy

Building Collaborative Climate Policies

Climate Policy

C3’s Climate Policy Team acts as a catalyst to advance climate policies, programs, technologies, investments, and sustainable behaviors. We are working closely with our community’s stakeholders to pinpoint and promote the best set of climate policies for a future with economic prosperity, a healthy environment, and an equitable and democratic access to cleaner energy and transportation.

Speaking of access, we want to ensure that our community is informed about all of the municipal, state, federal, and utility led incentives currently available for local climate action. Read our comprehensive Climate Incentives listing and start saving today!

What’s Happening Now?

After setting a leadership target of a 45% reduction in community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, the City of Charlottesville launched its Climate Action Planning community engagement process in December of 2020. To get involved in the planning, check out the City’s website, or subscribe to C3’s email updates to learn about and support our recommendations throughout the process.

With the 2021 General Assembly session just around the corner, C3 put together our recommendations for legislation that would help municipalities advance climate action. After a successful 2020 General Assembly session, we are hopeful for even more climate-minded policy solutions next year.

Climate touches every aspect of our community — our health, our food, our economic well-being, and the affordability of our homes and businesses. C3 asks Charlottesville City Council to adopt a resolution to develop Charlottesville’s Comprehensive and Strategic Plans with a climate lens that serves as a guide for the prioritization of intersectional solutions.

Want to get more engaged in policy advocacy? Email policy@theclimatecollaborative.org to get involved.

VEEP

In December 2019 Charlottesville City Council approved plans to launch the Voucher Energy Efficiency Pilot program, or VEEP. LEAP and C3 worked together to join affordable housing needs with the need for greater energy efficiency in our local building stock which in turn helps us reduce our community’s climate emissions. It’s a win all around. The yearlong pilot will reward Charlottesville City landlords who accept renters with housing vouchers with forgivable, city-funded, loans of up to $10,000 a piece to be spent on energy efficiency upgrades. Read more about this project and the first house to be included in the program on our blog.

Advancing Policy Solutions

Our team along with our local stakeholders is currently exploring the best financial mechanisms and business models to boost climate action in our community. Additionally, in collaboration with our partners, in the following months we will prepare an energy-equity assessment map of our community and develop a series of policy recommendations crafted to better suit our local context.

C3 also closely monitors climate legislation being considered by the Virginia General Assembly. Read our report on climate policies being pursued in the 2020 Virginia General Assembly.

Local Government

In 2009, the City of Charlottesville, the County of Albemarle, and University of Virginia joined to work collaboratively to develop their climate actions plans to advance local climate solutions. Since then, the three institutions have been collecting community input to help shape staff recommendations to City Council, County Board of Supervisors, and UVA’s Corporate Board.

On July 1st, 2019, the City voted for a “best in class” climate goal of a 45% reduction (of 2010 emissions levels) by 2030, with the additional objective of carbon neutrality by 2050. The County followed suit in October with the same ambitious goals of 45% (of 2008 emissions levels) by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050. Later that same year, the UVA announced the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

Now the hard work begins. Our team stands ready to support the climate action planning and policy development it will take to meet these goals! Check out our Climate Action Planning Info for further information and do not hesitate to reach out to our policy team at policy@theclimatecollaborative.org and tell us your ideas and suggestions. If you are willing to be even more involved, consider joining our C3’s Climate Policy Task Force (a group to help guide and develop our climate policy research, outreach and advocacy).