Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has announced a new grant program that aims to spur climate action across the city through nonprofit organizations and small businesses. 

Designed in partnership with the Department of Planning and Development’s Chicago Recovery Plan Initiative, the Climate Infrastructure Fund will back renewable energy and energy-efficiency improvements in buildings, support the purchase of electric vehicles and installation of charging stations, and develop green infrastructure solutions to capture stormwater and reduce flooding. Applications for the grant will be evaluated based on climate mitigation and resilience factors, equity impact, and project readiness.

The $5 million Fund is part of a series of climate and environmental initiatives under the Chicago Recovery Plan, which was formed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The City of Chicago was granted $1.887 billion in federal funds to invest in the well-being of people and communities and drive economic recovery. The Fund also falls in line with the city’s 2022 Climate Action Plan, announced in April, which set a goal to reduce Chicago’s carbon emissions 62% by 2040. This plan places a particular focus on Black, Brown, and working-class communities who disproportionately feel the negative effects of climate change. 

“In October of last year and along with the support of the City Council, we committed to delivering on bold, equitable, and actionable climate solutions by investing in the largest climate budget to date in Chicago,” said Mayor Lightfoot. 

She added, “That $188 million serves as a down payment for climate action and resiliency with an intentional focus on direct benefits within neighborhoods that are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change and decades of disinvestment. The Climate Infrastructure Fund is further strengthening this foundation by supporting organizations and small businesses as they take on leadership roles as participants and beneficiaries in the green economy.” 

Applications for proposed projects are being accepted through February 24, 2023, with grant amounts ranging from $50,000 to $250,000. 

Chicago has been active this year through its community and climate-oriented initiatives. In August, the city announced the completion of a deal to convert all city facilities and operations to run on renewable energy by 2025. It also unveiled the first draft of a citywide framework plan titled We Will Chicago, which outlines how the city intends to become more equitable and resilient.