People's Justice40+ Playbook
We are excited to announce the initial launch of the People’s Justice40+ Community Benefit Playbook! Click below to view the resources.
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The Just Transition Powerforce
We are excited to announce the initial launch of the Just Transition Powerforce a collaborative of environmental, finance, energy, workforce, and climate justice leaders Click below to view the resources.
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Clean Energy
ECC takes a comprehensive, high-road approach to helping communities develop and implement cost-saving clean energy and solutions.
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Water & Food
Food is every society’s “first economy.” Our work includes policy and project development to leverage the assets and capacities of large, place-based institutions.
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Community Climate Resilience
Communities can withstand or rebound from climate disruption when they have access to regional, community-owned networks for critical needs.
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Participatory Democracy & Climate Justice
ECC develops multi-stakeholder coalitions to advance a high-road agenda that is inclusive, accountable and equitable.
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Our Mission

The Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) pursues a high-road approach to greening our cities, building resilient regional economies and strengthening our democracy. By building cross-sector collaborations, acutely focused on those historically left out of the economic and community development process, we help communities unleash their capacity to build high-road economies that are more sustainable, economically just and democratic.

Our Impact

System Reform

Program/Project Development

Community Impact

6 Title I High Schools

In South/Southeast Los Angeles County now have a community college STEAM experiential learning program spearheaded by ECC to create pathways for underrepresented students into architecture, engineering, construction, and environmental careers.  

360 Title 1 high school students

Completed energy, green building courses and industry certifications 

$250 B

Invested to develop high-road energy efficiency, water and solar projects thanks to ECC leadership. Includes 17 government buildings, two water infrastructure projects and over 20 affordable housing projects.  

1 Place-based Community Resilience Project

Initiated and co-sponsor a multi-stakeholder collaborative to leverage the buying power of Anchor institutions with community assets to invest in community climate resilience initiatives.

$20 M

Sustainable food processing facility spearheaded by ECC in the San Francisco Bay Area will employ 150 local workers into union jobs and worker cooperative, and utilize Black and Brown urban growers as suppliers.  

12 Community College Training Programs

In community organizing co-sponsored with the Community Learning Partnership preparing the next generation of community change agents through experiential learning and credentials.

80%

Of ECC projects pay union or prevailing wages.  

$19 M

In energy efficiency, clean energy and green infrastructure contracts have been awarded to MWDBE contractors as a result of ECC leadership.

3 RENEW Affordable Housing Programs

Established to help affordable housing developers audit, finance, and retrofit their buildings to be energy and water efficient in San Francisco, Seattle and Boston.

260 MWDBE

Completed E-Contractor Academy

Energy & Water Equity Policies

Successfully passed In building electrification,  building performance standards local, net metering, water affordability working in local and national coalitions

Our Impact

System Reform

Program/Project Development

Community Impact

6 Title I High Schools

In South/Southeast Los Angeles County now have a community college STEAM experiential learning program spearheaded by ECC to create pathways for underrepresented students into architecture, engineering, construction, and environmental careers.  

$250 B

Invested to develop high-road energy efficiency, water and solar projects thanks to ECC leadership. Includes 17 government buildings, two water infrastructure projects and over 20 affordable housing projects.  

$20 M

Sustainable food processing facility spearheaded by ECC in the San Francisco Bay Area will employ 150 local workers into union jobs and worker cooperative, and utilize Black and Brown urban growers as suppliers.  

$19 M

In energy efficiency, clean energy and green infrastructure contracts have been awarded to MWDBE contractors as a result of ECC leadership.

260 MWDBE

Completed E-Contractor Academy

10 High Road Policies

Organized and implemented labor and community standards – community workforce agreements, community benefit agreements, local hire and local procurement – within public and private sector policies and projects in LA County, San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Boston, and Cleveland/Cuyahoga County that connect hundreds of thousands  low-income residents to high wage careers.

5 Contractor Training Programs

Custom designed and conduct 7-12 week green building training and coaching programs for small and minority, women, veteran and disadvantaged contractors in LA County, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland and Cleveland. 

360 Title 1 high school students

Completed energy, green building courses and industry certifications 

1 Place-based Community Resilience Project

Initiated and co-sponsor a multi-stakeholder collaborative to leverage the buying power of Anchor institutions with community assets to invest in community climate resilience initiatives.

12 Community College Training Programs

In community organizing co-sponsored with the Community Learning Partnership preparing the next generation of community change agents through experiential learning and credentials.

80%

Of ECC projects pay union or prevailing wages.  

3 RENEW Affordable Housing Programs

Established to help affordable housing developers audit, finance, and retrofit their buildings to be energy and water efficient in San Francisco, Seattle and Boston.

Energy & Water Equity Policies

Successfully passed In building electrification,  building performance standards local, net metering, water affordability working in local and national coalitions

2 Skills Workforce Training programs

Custom designed and sponsor 2 industry certified skills training programs in HVAC and operating engineers to connect BIPOC residents to green building careers 

204 disadvantaged youth

Entered union apprenticeship programs

Our Work

ECC has proven that multi-stakeholder, intersectional models work. Whether your goal is to create more opportunities for underrepresented contractors, workers and youth to participate in sustainable development projects; or you seek to engage anchor institutions in local climate resilience efforts; or you need help building an inclusive local corps of environmental/ climate/economic justice advocates, ECC offers programs that can help guide your community along the high road.

What's New?

Open Position: Project Management Intern

The Project Management Intern (Intern) is a summer internship position based in Massachusetts. In this role, you would be part of a diverse program implementation team. You will report to the Community Engagement and Policy Manager and collaborate closely with other program managers at Emerald Cities. You’ll join the team at an exciting time as we work toward further developing our regional strategy for enhancing our civic engagement and economic inclusion work. The role will be a great mix of high-level strategic thinking, detailed analysis, and getting out into the field to meet with local partners directly. The Intern will provide strategic support for existing projects focused on prioritizing low-income and BIPOC communities in the transition to a clean energy economy.

Empowering Healthy Homes: Emerald Connections Program Seeks Community Collaboration In Essex County MA For Weatherization Initiative

The Emerald Connections Program is a community-centered weatherization & healthy homes pilot which will be launched in one community within Essex County. It will deliver 60 comprehensive energy retrofits, including climate and health mitigation strategies.

We will select one community-based organization (CBO) or coalition serving a community that has been burdened by high energy costs and impacted by poor housing quality & health issues.

Submission deadline: Friday, March 10, 2023

Open Position: Director of Internal Audit and Compliance

Under the supervision of the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, the Director of Internal Audit and Compliance is responsible for ensuring that ECC is compliant with all federal, state, and local laws and funder requirements. The incumbent will assess ECC’s grant monitoring and reporting systems and make recommendations for improvement where necessary. In collaboration with the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, this position is responsible for reviewing the accounting policies and procedures and recommending policies that will safeguard the financial assets of the organization.

Open Position: Program Coordinator – Emerald Cities Los Angeles

The Program Coordinator is an employee of Emerald Cities Collaborative and helps to implement, coordinate, and market Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC)-Los Angeles’ program initiatives. The position reports directly to the LA Program Director but is part of the larger SoCalREN program team. The Program Coordinator will help conduct outreach for the new energy efficiency training targeted to transitional foster youth; conduct and manage the notification, registration, and materials distribution for ECC events, training seminars, and conference participation; develop collateral materials for program initiatives, and update fact sheets, data reports, and program website content.

The People’s Justice40+ Community Benefits Webinar Series is here!

Want to find out how you can use the The People’s Justice40+ Community Benefits Playbook to create your own strategy for getting federal resources for your community? ECC is excited to announce the launch of The People’s Justice40+ Community Benefits Webinar Series first segment, The Justice40 Initiative and Opportunities for Community Benefits. Ardie Griffin, ECC’s Policy Analyst & Legislative Director, will be discussing everything from the Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, how Justice40 will influence the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act and relevant aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act.

We’re excited to announce the R2E2 initiative!

Growing our energy efficiency workforce is critical to scaling up efforts to make homes healthier, safer, and more efficient. But, according to a 2020 @NASEO – National Association of State Energy Officials – report, 80% of energy efficiency professional and business services employers had difficulty hiring new employees. By focusing on equitable workforce development and inclusive procurement practices, the Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity (R2E2) initiative aims to overcome barriers to affordable housing energy upgrades and achieve the workforce we need to do the work, while keeping jobs in the communities where the upgrades take place.

Open Position: The Workforce Development Program Manager – Northeast

The Workforce Development Program Manager – Northeast Region will implement policies, models and programs that advance Emerald Cities Collaborative’s mission with a focus on workforce development and creating business opportunities and community wealth for black and brown communities by leveraging investments in clean energy, affordable housing, and other infrastructure projects. Specifically, this position will focus on providing access for and supporting the development and growth of BIPOC business enterprises.

Testimonials

Joel Rogers, J.D., PhD.
COWS Director, University of Wisconsin & Co-Chair, ECC Board
“In 2009, our idea of a high-road economy was considered “interesting,” but untested. We spent a year building the vision and the partnerships, and the next decade turning our vision into action. Today, we have proven models of multi-sector collaboration focused on creating a more sustainable, equitable and democratic future.”
Sunia Zaterman
Executive Director, Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA)
“[ECC] brings together a wide array of sectors to solve the problems of greening our cities, building our communities, and of economic justice.”
Gerald (Gerry) Hudson
SEIU Secretary-Treasurer and Co-Chair, ECC Board
“We are excited to see the growth of this vision and movement toward an equitable, clean economy. It is this dynamism and our results to date that inspire us to head confidently into the next decade.”