BAAQMD Climate Grants at Work

Explore the innovative ways Bay Area local governments and nonprofits are reducing greenhouse gases.

In 2007, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District awarded $3 million in climate protection grants to Bay Area local governments and nonprofits to implement innovative projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The awarded projects, 52 in all, target youth outreach, city and county planning, and best practices proven to reduce emissions.

Climate Grants at Work

Sustainable Energy Practices Guidebook for Public Agencies

Sonoma County developed a Sustainable Energy Practices Guidebook that provides thorough discussion and examples of best practices in energy management, water supply and distribution, and waste stream management. The guide addresses what best practices can accomplish, how they can be implemented, implementation advantages and disadvantage, and cost considerations.

Improving Your Bottom Line: How Energy Efficiency Can Reduce Carbon Emissions and Boost Profitability

Sustainable Silicon Valley created a guidebook outlining low-cost strategies for improving the efficiency of the primary equipment types used by typical small and medium businesses. Strategies and suggestions are based on the experiences of Silicon Valley local businesses.

San Francisco Bay Area Clean Fleets Toolkit: A Guide for On-road Commercial Fleets

This toolkit provides commercial fleet managers and staff with best management practices, action plans, and tools to measure and reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants coming from their fleets. Created by Sustainable Earth Initiative and the City and County of San Francisco, the Toolkit identifies laws and regulations, calculators, financial resources and statistics to assist in the selection and implementation of best practices.

Environmental Improvement Revolving Fund Administrative Manual

The City of El Cerrito with Strategic Energy Innovations has launched the Environmental Improvement Revolving Fund to support municipal projects that save money through energy and water use reduction. The Fund is designed to pay for itself over time. This Manual lays out the general guidelines for the Fund: its structure, administration, accounting system, eligibility requirements, and tracking.

Local Government Guidebook for Preparing A GHG Emissions Inventory

Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI) has created a step-by-step guide to conducting a greenhouse gas inventory devised to aid local governments in the process of developing GHG Emissions Inventories and Climate Action Plans. The guide focuses on the practical issues and strategies for setting up and implementing a greenhouse gas inventory program.

The Early Action Handbook

ICLEI developed The Early Action Handbook to provide local planning staff with guidance and tools to implement a small set of critical measures that can be applied to new development projects quickly. Measures include solar access protection, making buildings “future ready” for current and developing technologies, and cost-effective local codes that go beyond state Title-24 energy efficiency standards.