EPA Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (Community Change Grants)

The Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant program (Community Change Grants) funds community-driven projects that increase community climate resilience, reduce pollution, and strengthen communities. This grant operates under the framework of the broader Environmental and Climate Justice Program (ECJP), which was created by the Inflation Reduction Act and is now contained in Section 138 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), 42 U.S.C. § 7438. The ECJP allocates $2.8 billion to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for awarding grants to communities, along with an additional $200 million for technical assistance related to these grants. Approximately $2 billion of the ECJP funding is designated for Community Change Grants. The purpose of the Community Change Grants is to “support comprehensive community and place-based approaches to redressing environmental and climate injustices for communities facing legacy pollution, climate change, and persistent disinvestment.” Grants awarded under this program may be used for climate resiliency and adaptation projects. 

Applications may be submitted through November 21, 2024. Eligible entities include:

  • A partnership between two non-profit community-based organizations (CBOs)
  • A CBO partnered with one of the following:
    • Federally-recognized Tribe
    • Local government
    • Institution of higher education. 

The Community Change Grants are intended to advance the goals of Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, and Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, which established the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities, known as the Justice 40 Initiative. To that end, the Community Change Grants aim to close equity gaps and redress environmental injustices.

Applicants are required to demonstrate that the proposed projects would benefit a disadvantaged community as defined by the EPA. The EPA instructs applicants to use the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) and EJScreen to identify disadvantaged communities. Track I applicants are required to identify a Project Area and produce a Project Area Map of the identified disadvantaged communities using the CEJST and EJScreen. Track II applicants must identify and describe the disadvantaged communities that will benefit from the projects, but are not required to submit a Project Area Map.

Beyond the Community Grant Program requirements, applicants have the opportunity to focus on equity in their project activities. For example, an eligible project under Track II is the development or implementation of an Equity Action Plan that identifies barriers to equity and addresses discrimination disadvantaged communities may face.

 

The EPA will consider applications under two tracks. Track I, titled “Community-Driven Investments for Change,” focuses on climate action and pollution reduction strategies intended to improve the environmental, climate, and resilience conditions impacting disadvantaged communities. The objectives of Track I include: increasing community resilience, reducing local pollution to improve public health, emphasizing meaningful community engagement, building community strength,reaching priority populations, and maximizing integration across projects to maximize benefits. Track I applicants must include a Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan and a Community Strength Plan. 

Track I applicants must include at least one project that adheres to one or more of the following Climate Action Strategies:

  1.  Green infrastructure and nature-based solutions
  2.  Mobility and transportation options for preventing air pollution and improving public health and climate resilience
  3. Energy-efficient, healthy, and resilient housing and buildings
  4.  Microgrid installation for community energy resilience
  5. Community resilience hubs 
  6. Brownfield redevelopment for emissions reduction and climate resilience 
  7. Waste reduction and management to support a circular economy 
  8. Workforce development programs for occupations that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants 

Additionally, Track I applicants must include at least one project aligned  with one or more of the following Pollution Reduction Strategies: 

  1. Indoor air quality and community health improvements
  2. Outdoor air quality and community health improvements 
  3. Clean water infrastructure to reduce pollution exposure and increase overall system resilience 
  4. Safe management and disposal of solid and hazardous waste 

Example projects for each of these Climate Action Strategies and Pollution Reduction Strategies are included in the appendix of the Notice of Funding Opportunity. 

Track II, titled “Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance,” focuses on the facilitation of meaningful engagement with disadvantaged communities in governmental processes to promote environmental and climate justice. Examples of Track II projects include educational and training programs, environmental advisory boards, collaborative government activities (including collaborative bodies, plans, agreements, and organizational changes), and participation in governmental funding and budgeting processes.  

For eligible entities, the EPA Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights provides several forms of pre-award and post-award technical assistance, along with additional resources. A summary of the technical assistance available to Community Change Grants applicants is summarized and accessible on the Community Change Grants Technical assistance webpage.

Publication Date: November 21, 2023

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