California Strategic Growth Council
The COVID‑19 pandemic has exacerbated existing food insecurity in the Watts community in Los Angeles, where the Transformative Climate Communities Program in 2017 made a $33.25 million investment of California Climate Investment funds to implement the Watts Rising vision. To ensure continued access to fresh produce throughout the pandemic, the Watts Rising collaborative partners harnessed their existing virtual community engagement events as a platform to distribute food and critical public health information.
California Strategic Growth Council
With the help of technical assistance providers funded by the California Strategic Growth Council’s California Climate Investments Technical Assistance program, Arcata 30th Street Commons became the first tribal led project funded by California Climate Investments through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program. The project, proposed by the Yurok Indian Housing Authority, earned a $11.4 million award and exemplifies how a strong vision, combined with partnership, technical assistance, and investment can help transform an under resourced community.
California Strategic Growth Council
In Los Angeles County, transitioning to clean, renewable energy will improve air quality and reduce the overall carbon footprint in California’s most populous region. With a $638,878 award from California Climate Investments through the Climate Change Research Program, a partnership led by the University of California, Los Angeles and Liberty Hill Foundation is helping to make this transition equitable, affordable, and beneficial for people living in the area’s priority populations. That means engaging these communities at all stages of the research.
California Strategic Growth Council
In the fifth round of its Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation program, the California Strategic Growth Council approved a $1,550,000 grant from California Climate Investments to the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County to purchase an easement that will permanently protect the 999‑acre Jalama Cañon Ranch. This year, with support from the California Department of Conservation and in partnership with the White Buffalo Land Trust, the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County focused on laying the groundwork for the agricultural easement so it can protect these agricultural and natural lands from conversion to more greenhouse gas‑intensive uses.
California Strategic Growth Council
In June 2020, artists, their families, and low‑income earners in Santa Ana began moving into new affordable homes funded in part by a $12 million award from California Climate Investments through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program. In partnership with the Southern California Association of Governments, the Santa Ana Arts Collective development promotes sustainability and health through active transportation safety activities, supported by over .5 miles of bicycle facility improvements and 36 improved pedestrian crossings. The project also features a gallery space for resident and community artists, and Meta Housing is partnering with Western Community Housing to deliver on‑site adult education services.
California State Water Resources Control Board
Westside Elementary School in the Coachella Valley relied solely on well water for its drinking water. The well had an unfortunate history of both contamination and the inability to provide adequate water supplies to prevent fires. Thanks in part to a nearly $370,000 from California Climate Investments through the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, these problems have been solved.
California State Transportation Agency
Caltrain, the seventh-largest commuter rail agency in the nation, is undergoing a major transformation by electrifying the railroad to provide cleaner, quieter, and more efficient service. In 2018, Caltrain received a grant from California Climate Investments through the Transit and Intercity Capital Rail Program, allowing the agency to expand the new electric train fleet from 16 six‑car trainsets to 19 seven‑car trainsets. This greatly expands both the capacity and the potential frequency of the soon‑to‑be‑electrified rail service.
California State Coastal Conservancy
A major transportation corridor in the city of Carlsbad, South Carlsbad Boulevard is highly vulnerable to flooding and erosion as a result of climate change. But thanks to a $498,075 grant from California Climate Investments through the Climate Ready Grant Program, the city was awarded in 2019, Carlsbad is creating a plan to protect a portion of the boulevard that is particularly vulnerable to sea‑level rise, frequent coastal flooding, and cliff erosion.
California Natural Resources Agency
One of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust’s most exciting parks currently under construction is the 8.5‑acre, multi‑benefit Wishing Tree Park located in unincorporated West Carson, Los Angeles County. This project has been in the works for decades, and thanks in part to a $2,500,000 grant from California Climate Investments through the Urban Greening Program the park will be opening to the public in late 2021.
California Natural Resources Agency
The North Coast Resource Partnership is a unique coalition of North Coast Tribes and seven counties that represent the North Coast and Klamath/Interior Coast Ranges ecological regions, both of which are important carbon storage areas in California. To help protect the health of forests in this territory, the North Coast Resource Partnership is using $4,037,500 of California Climate Investments funding through the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program to develop a regional priority plan that will generate implementation‑ready projects and provide funding for demonstration projects.
California High-Speed Rail Authority
The High‑Speed Rail Authority is responsible for planning, designing, building and operating the first high‑speed rail in the nation. When complete, it will run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin in under three hours, providing a clean alternative to driving or flying. Funded in part by California Climate Investments, the project is already contributing to economic development and a cleaner environment, creating jobs, and preserving agricultural and protected lands.
California Environmental Protection Agency
Supported by nearly $2.6 million from California Climate Investments, the California Environmental Protection Agency is working with University of California researchers to carry out two studies that will help California reach its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. In particular, these studies will examine ways to reduce emissions from the transportation sector, the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in California. The studies will also quantify air pollution and economic impacts for multiple greenhouse gas emissions reduction scenarios.
California Energy Commission
Oya Organic Farms, an organic vegetable farm in Hollister, received a $76,446 grant from California Climate Investments through the Renewable Energy for Agriculture Program that, together with a 76 percent match from the farm, will finance the installation of solar panels to power an irrigation pump and storage/office building. Their new 27‑kilowatt solar system allows the farm to use zero‑emission electricity for their domestic well and re‑invest energy savings towards the farm. Furthermore, a standalone 6.4‑kilowatt solar system coupled with battery storage will power the off‑grid produce storage room and office on the farm.
California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
Netafim Irrigation, Inc. received a total of $2,011,647 from California Climate Investment through the Recycled Fiber, Plastic, and Glass Grant Program. This money supports its operations as a closed‑loop recycling solution for used irrigation tubing that serves commercial farming operations in the Central Coast region of California. Netafim’s grant is expanding an established and successful recycling operation. As a result of this expansion in Netafim’s operations, the project is estimated to divert 83,059 tons of material from landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 66,447 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
SANCO Services received $3 million from California Climate Investments through the Organics Grants program to help fund equipment vital to the operation of a new anaerobic digestion system under construction at the Escondido Resource Recovery Transfer Station.
California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
Twenty years ago, Hope 4 the Heart began providing food rescue services to their Hayward, California community and surrounding areas. In 2019, they received $329,766 from California Climate Investments through the Food Waste Prevention and Rescue Grant Program.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
A $996,600 grant from California Climate Investments through the Urban and Community Forestry program will help Urban Salvaged and Reclaimed Woods, Inc. pilot a shared storefront project. This storefront will allow businesses handling salvaged wood from urban areas to combine resources to better process, market, and sell their products.
