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Monthly Newsletter
Each month, RVAgreen 2050 releases a newsletter that highlights upcoming actions and events that will help make Richmond more equitable, healthy, and resilient. Thanks for reading!
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Newsletter Archive
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It’s May, which means the summer heat is right around the corner, and there is no more important time than now to start preparing. Learn about April’s highlights, the Solar for All grant, and more!
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Learn about Earth Day events happening around Richmond as well as new additions to the OOS and calls to apply for the vacancy on the Sustainability and Resilience Commission.
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Explore the many ways the Office of Sustainability is engaging the community and ways you can get involved including the Sustainability & Resilience Commission, Zoning Advisory Committee, ONE VCU Sustainability Plan Draft, Richmond Invasive Species Awareness Week, and more!
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We encourage you to take time this month to reflect on the important role that Richmond plays in our nation's history and enjoy the many opportunities across the City celebrating Black history. The Office of Sustainability is proud to ensure that Richmond's climate plan - RVAgreen 2050 - is centered in equity, including racial equity, and strongly considers the impact of that history on both today, and tomorrow.
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Are you looking to live a more sustainable life in 2024? Whether you are planning major life decisions or want to create a greener home below are a few articles to help you plan for the future.
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In 2023 Richmonders experienced massive flooding, smoke caused by distant forest fires, and high heat. The escalating impacts of climate change could easily define this year. However, we also have much to celebrate including the first anniversary of Laura Thomas, Director of Sustainability, and the launch of multiple programs and initiatives.
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The concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) has an answer for just that. According to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) EPR is “an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle.”
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Richmond was awarded $6 million towards coalition-based urban greening projects in partnership with black and brown-led community organizations. This project will develop an Urban Forest Master Plan, conduct a tree canopy inventory and two assessments, plant and maintain urban trees, engage youth, adults, and faith-based organizations, certify urban agriculture professionals, and remove invasive species within these disadvantaged communities.
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Gallery5 owner Amanda Robinson is working with some of Richmond’s most beloved mutual aid organizations like Seasonal Roots, RVA Community Fridges, Richmond Food not Bombs, Shalom Farms and Richmond Moon Market to “rebuild on the collaborations and relationships” with local nonprofits.
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The City of Richmond is preparing to join a statewide program that encourages developers to invest in on-site renewable energy, energy efficiency and water conservation measures. Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy, or C-PACE, loan financing is available to property owners in participating localities to cover the upfront costs of those improvements.
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Heat resilience refers to the ability of communities to overcome and adapt to instances of extreme heat. It encompasses strategies targeted at reducing heat-related illness and injury and ensuring the well-being of the environment.
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Advocating for sustainable and equitable practices that aim to reduce greenhouse gases can help protect Richmond from the negative effects of climate change like severe weather disasters, public health crises, and urban heat islands (concentrated heating in urban areas).
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Clean and efficient transportation can help improve air quality by reducing carbon emissions that contribute to pollution.
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Green spaces have numerous benefits, for community members, visitors, and animals!
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Flood resilience is the ability of a city and its community to recover and endure the impacts of flooding resulting from precipitation, sea level rise, and poor infrastructure.
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Greenhouse gases (GHGs) include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. The right proportion of GHGs keep our planet warm enough to support life. However, the currently changing climate is linked to rising concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere, which insulate the planet and cause it to warm.
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While climate action requires shared responsibility for our shared resources, everyone has different responsibilities and opportunities to get involved. The inequities that exist throughout Richmond create barriers to action for many community members.
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Air pollution affects some populations more than others such as those with asthma, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, children, older adults, and minorities. Just as outdoor air pollution can impact health, so can the quality of air within and around buildings and structures.
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According to an EPA study the average American will produce about 5.9 pounds of trash per day with only 1.51 pounds being recycled, leaving 4.4 pounds of waste. Most of this waste is transferred to landfills where it produces methane and could potentially pollute groundwater. The City of Richmond in partnership with the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA) is working to reduce the amount of waste that reaches our landfills by providing our citizens with alternatives to “throwing it in the garbage.”
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October is Energy Awareness Month and the first Monday in October each year is Energy Efficiency Day. RVAgreen 2050 strives to help Richmond residents reduce their energy burden, the percentage of annual income that a household or individual pays towards their energy bills (electricity and/or natural gas). A household is typically considered in "high burden" if their energy burden exceeds 6% of their annual income and in "severe burden" or "energy poverty" if their bills exceed 10%.
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July is typically the hottest month of the year and can be a dangerous time, especially for neighborhoods with less tree cover. We know that different communities around Richmond experience heat differently, largely based on race/ethnicity and income, and the hottest areas are often those with more limited access to resources and relief.
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Did you know for every $1 governments invest in preventative resilience planning, they can save $6 in the long run? Smart and accountable government action is key to solving the climate crises.
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Carbon emissions from Richmond’s transportation sector makes up a third of all our emissions.
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RVAgreen 2050 is once again asking for the community’s input on the draft Climate Equity Action Plan 2030!
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Trees and parks are one of the best ways to protect against extreme heat and flooding, yet green space is inequitably distributed across Richmond.