EPA Launches New Website to Support the Development of Climate-Resilient Projects
Posted by Grant Coordinator on Oct. 7, 2024 / Subscribe 0
In response to the escalating impacts of climate change, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new website: the Climate Resilience and Adaptation Funding Toolbox, or CRAFT. Announced on September 11th, this innovative platform serves as a user-friendly resource for technical assistance providers who work with federal funding applicants and recipients to develop, apply for, and implement climate-resilient investments. The website offers straightforward, easy-to-understand resources that help users consider climate adaptation and resilience before, during, and after applying for EPA funding opportunities.
Why CRAFT Matters
As climate change continues to impact the nation, EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe emphasized that communities have faced increasingly frequent and intense wildfires, heatwaves, droughts, and other extreme weather events this past summer. “These events often result in billion-dollar disasters and pose significant threats to public health, as well as the social, environmental, and economic fabric of our communities.” Until precautions and measures are implemented, communities will continue to experience the effects of climate change.
CRAFT is another initiative aimed at safeguarding the safety, well-being, and economy of communities across the nation. “CRAFT’s toolbox will support EPA’s collaboration with technical assistance providers, who have the expertise and reach to help states, Tribes, communities, and others proactively invest in climate resilience,” McCabe stated.
The EPA is taking crucial steps to support its programs and funding applicants in investing in projects that can withstand the impacts of climate change. CRAFT serves as a valuable resource for technical assistance providers, guiding the allocation of federal funding—including the historic investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act—toward local solutions.
What’s Inside CRAFT?
The information in CRAFT can assist federal funding applicants and recipients in identifying climate-related challenges to their projects from the outset, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are invested wisely. CRAFT also supports the development of projects that advance multiple policy goals, such as achieving local flood resilience, adopting nature-based infrastructure solutions, and protecting the most vulnerable people and places from climate change.
With CRAFT, interested parties can more easily navigate EPA’s funding opportunities, integrate climate resilience and adaptation into their investments, and meaningfully engage community members and other partners throughout the life of their projects.
The materials provided in CRAFT include:
- Program Overviews: Insights into EPA’s financial assistance programs that offer climate-safe investment opportunities.
- Climate Risk Tools: Resources for decision support that inform project development, design, and implementation.
- Communication Materials: Tools facilitating discussions about adaptation, resilience, and environmental justice.
- Meaningful Engagement Resources: Strategies for effectively and intentionally conducting targeted community engagement when implementing climate-smart projects.
- Definitions of Common Terms: Common terms to use during technical assistance consultations, engagement efforts, and project proposal development.
Supporting Nationwide Resilience
The CRAFT initiative aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision for a climate-resilient nation, as outlined in the National Climate Resilience Framework (pdf). Federal agencies are leveraging their programs and policies to promote climate-resilient investments and manage climate-related financial risks. In Memorandum M-24-03, titled “Advancing Climate Resilience through Climate-Smart Infrastructure Investments and Implementation Guidance for the Disaster Resiliency Planning Act (pdf),” the Office of Management and Budget directed all federal agencies to consider the effects of climate change in their infrastructure investment decisions and to provide technical assistance resources to prospective applicants.
“Communities across the nation face increasing impacts of climate change. Investing in climate-smart projects and proactively managing climate change risks can help build local resilience while achieving other community goals,” explained Vicki Arroyo, Associate Administrator for EPA’s Office of Policy. “CRAFT can help technical assistance providers facilitate conversations with federal funding applicants and recipients about the resilience of their projects, both before and after funding is secured.”
As communities across the nation work to navigate the challenges posed by climate change, initiatives like CRAFT are essential for fostering collaboration and ensuring that investments lead to lasting resilience within local and federal governments.
Conclusion
Since 2021, EPA’s Climate Adaptation Plans have committed the agency to encouraging climate-resilient investments through its programs and investments. To help advance these federal and agency-wide priorities, EPA’s Resilient Infrastructure Subgroup on Climate has been working internally to support the agency’s financial assistance programs while also externally assisting applicants and recipients as they invest in climate-resilient projects.
As the nation navigates the complexities of climate change, resources like CRAFT will play a pivotal role in guiding communities toward sustainable and resilient futures. By making it easier for interested parties to access EPA’s funding opportunities and encouraging meaningful community engagement, CRAFT is set to empower communities to face climate challenges head-on.
For more information and to explore the resources available through the CRAFT toolbox, visit the EPA website.
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