Three SoCalGas municipalities will receive $50,000 each. Funds will help cities prepare for and recover from climate risks. SoCalGas is looking for grantees to help vulnerable communities. Disadvantaged communities, Hazard Mitigation Plan updates, Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plans, and Co-Benefits will be evaluated.

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced the start of the application period for the Climate Adaptation & Resiliency Grant program, which is designed to help local cities become more resilient by addressing climate vulnerability, adaptation, resiliency, and hazard mitigation plans, with a focus on underserved communities. Three municipalities within SoCalGas' service territory will each receive $50,000 from the grant program. The funds will be used to assist local governments in preparing for and recovering from climate risks such as extreme heat, wildfires, drought, subsidence, sea level rise, and flooding.

The winning applications from Southern and Central California will be chosen by an advisory panel of planning and sustainability experts from the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability (LARC) and the American Planning Association-California Chapter (APA-California).

"The City is very excited to begin the critical work of developing a Climate Action and Resiliency Plan for our underserved community. Building climate resilience and focusing on environmental justice issues are critical to our community and are central to many of our strategic goals for the next five years "

Mayor Mary Mendoza of San Fernando said.

"The City of San Fernando is very honored to receive these funds, and we are grateful to the Southern California Gas Company for recognizing our efforts with this generous grant," said City Manager David Smith.

"The Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Grant program is one of many initiatives promoted by SoCalGas to reduce the effects of climate change and assist California in meeting its sustainability goals. We're committed to mitigating these effects by investing in various strategies to help us all recover, adapt, and plan ahead "

SoCalGas vice president of strategy, suitability, and chief environmental officer Jawaad Malik said.

"Restoring community health and reducing our environmental impact are critical for a sustainable future. We are honored to work with various municipalities to build a better future."

"Climate adaptation and resilience planning is critical to assisting our communities in remaining resilient in the face of unprecedented change,"

said Ashley Atkinson, president of the American Planning Association's California Chapter.

"This program enables recipient cities to prioritize resilience planning and respond to these changes as soon as possible."

Municipalities that are updating their Hazard Mitigation Plans, developing Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plans, or incorporating climate change impacts into their General Plan are eligible to apply. Grant proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

SoCalGas encourages applicants to address climate vulnerabilities in disadvantaged communities.
COLLABORATION: the degree to which the grant proposal reflects coordination and collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders (energy/water utilities, transportation, housing, and so on).
CO-BENEFITS: Determine potential co-benefits of adaptation work, such as benefits to public health, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and the economy. The application period closes on October 14, 2022, at 5 p.m.

Last year, the cities of Maywood, San Fernando, and Pico Rivera each received $50,000 from SoCalGas for winning adaptation and resiliency grants.

Source: Sempra news