The Charlottesville City Council will be voting on an alternate fuel source for the area transit system (CAT) in the upcoming months. The vote will be a crucial moment for the city’s long-term environmental planning and infrastructure, potentially impacting human and non-human health for decades. C3 recently analyzed three of the potential bus fuels Charlottesville could switch to – certified natural gas, (battery-powered) electricity, and hydrogen – and found that battery electric buses (BEBs) provide not only the most cost-effective option, but also the most environmentally just.

Our 2023 Party for the Planet was huge success, with over 300 people in attendance, 12 climate leadership awards presented, 17 partner organization tables, and food and drink provided by our wonderful vendors. We had a blast celebrating successful climate action with the people and organizations who make it possible!

With our Energy Efficiency Grants program, we work directly with small, minority-owned businesses to identify the most impactful opportunities for energy savings, and award energy efficiency upgrades that will benefit the grant winners for years to come. Learn more about our 2023 winners!

During the lifetime of an organization, certain individuals truly make their mark and help to shape the mission and vision of the organization. We know those individuals cannot stay with us forever but must spread their wings and pursue new and exciting endeavors. Teri Strother and Maggie Davis are two such remarkable individuals. 

Learn about how to make local, timely, change at the intersection of climate change and public health in Charlottesville.

There’s been a lot of local news and discussion lately around solar owners that have been caught off guard by a closure of the company that installed their system. The solar industry is a business just like any other, and unfortunately, that means current solar owners can be impacted by these types of events. If you happen to be a “solar orphan” in this situation, don’t panic!

As part of the 2020 Better Business Challenge, the Community Climate Collaborative is excited to once again partner with the City of Charlottesville’s Economic Development Office to offer Mini-Grants to income-qualifying business owners to implement energy savings projects (or other sustainability-focused projects). These grants are designed to enable participating City businesses to implement sustainability initiatives that both save money and reduce environmental impact in ways that may not be otherwise possible.