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SPEAKING SUSTAINABILITY

June 2024

City joins forces with Bloomberg Philanthropies for the Youth Climate Action Fund

With 84 percent of youth around the world reporting that they are worried climate change threatens people and the planet, Mayor Daniel Rickenmann recently announced the City of Columbia has joined Bloomberg Philanthropies’ new Youth Climate Action Fund, which will provide technical assistance and funding for 100 mayors to activate tens of thousands of young people ages of 15 – 24 years to design, produce, and govern urgent climate solutions in cities across the globe.

As part of this program, the City of Columbia received $50,000 to distribute as microgrants to fund a groundswell of youth-led climate initiatives.

Organizations and groups with programming focused on youth ages 15 – 24 years are encouraged to apply for the Youth Climate Action Fund, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The City will be accepting applications through July 1, 2024.

For information, click here or contact Mary Pat Baldauf at 803-545-2722.

Columbia Empowerment Zone launches incentive program for small businesses

The Columbia Empowerment Zone, Inc. recently launched a new and exciting incentive program for small businesses, the BRITES Program (Business Retrofit Incentives Through Energy Savings).

BRITES incentives will aide small businesses within the City of Columbia in reducing energy-efficient retrofit costs by providing a companion program to Dominion Energy’s Small Business Energy Solutions program.

The BRITES program will reduce energy use and cost, help small businesses manage their energy use and save money, offer a more pleasant environment for employees and customers, while also supporting Columbia as a socially and economically vibrant community with sustainable jobs and a thriving, entrepreneurial, small-business environment.

All small businesses must be located within the City of Columbia limits and be approved to participate in Dominion Energy’s Small Business Energy solutions program.



To apply for the BRITES program please contact the Columbia Empowerment Zone, Inc. office at (803) 748-0964 or cezinc@columbiasc.gov.

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

June 2024

Bob Petrulis

Welcome new CPAC members!

In May, CPAC welcomed four new members – Josey Cline, Ben Marosites, Joyce Rose-Harris and Julie Seel – Great to have you aboard! Our May working session provided an opportunity to provide basic information about CPAC and to get to know everyone a little better. We have some great new members who will add fresh ideas and thinking to the committee.

We still have 2 empty seats on CPAC, so if you live in the City of Columbia, are not currently serving on another board or commission, and would like to contribute your wisdom as a member of this group, I want to encourage you to go to the city’s Matchboard website to apply.

Youth climate mini-grant program

Meanwhile, in early May, Mayor Rickenmann announced that Bloomberg Philanthropies had given the City a $50,000 grant to provide small grants to youth-led climate projects this summer. The deadline for proposals is being extended to July 1, so there’s still some time for young people to develop their ideas and request funding. We hope that this program will unleash the creative energies of 15 – 24-year-olds in the city. If you are in that age range, or know someone who is, please encourage them to get those applications in pronto! Here’s the link.

June CPAC meetings



Our monthly meeting will be held on June 7 at 9 a.m. and our working session will be on June 21, also at 9 a.m. CPAC meets in hybrid format, so you can join us via Zoom or in person at the Public Works building on Colonial Drive. CPAC meetings are open to all. To be added to the notification list for meeting details, agenda and Zoom link, please contact Mary Pat Baldauf, the City’s Sustainability Facilitator. Conference room space is limited, so please let Mary Pat know if you plan to attend in person.

CPAC's mission is to develop and advocate effective strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change, conserve natural resources and otherwise protect the environment at a City level, while also fostering an improved quality of life for the citizens of the City of Columbia.

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