August Newsletter

• Thanks to everyone who participated in the first ever Community Sustainability Survey! We received hundreds of responses from across the City that will inform next steps and advance the Shared Accountability Framework.
• An advanced green economy means that every Richmond resident, regardless of background, can find and complete training and apprenticeship programs in emerging industries like solar energy, electric vehicle networks, and energy auditing.
• Learn more about Bridging the Gap in Virginia, an organization working to train residents in Richmond to participate in the solar energy sector!

Have a family member, friend, or colleague who is new to RVAgreen 2050 or the City of Richmond's equity-centered climate action and resilience work? Share the video below and keep an eye out for upcoming video releases with more information about the Office of Sustainability's RVAgreen 2050 planning process. 

Results are in!

Over our spring engagement period, more than 400 Richmonders provided input via the first-ever RVAgreen 2050 Community Sustainability Survey!

The annual Community Sustainability Survey is a way for residents to provide their feedback on RVAgreen 2050's equitable climate action and resilience strategies and ensure that the Office of Sustainability's work continues to be reflective of the community's needs and priorities. It is a central element of the Shared Accountability Framework that provides the Office of Sustainability with data to track progress over time and implement new strategies for reaching all Richmonders. Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2022 survey!

Want to get more involved?

If you want to stay connected with the RVAgreen 2050 initiative as the draft Climate Equity Action Plan 2030 moves forward, please fill out the two-question RVAgreen 2050 Community Advocacy Questionnaire. This form will allow the Office of Sustainability to identify and form networks of interested advocates to support Richmond's equitable climate action and resilience work into the future. We need interested Richmonders from all backgrounds to help implement strategies and would love to hear about any particular areas of interest, expertise, and/or skillsets that you could share!

Monthly Call to Action:
Advanced green economy

Each month we highlight a call to action aligning with one of RVAgreen 2050's twelve outcomes, which were created by members of the community, the Working Groups, and the Racial Equity & Environmental Justice Roundtable to support RVAgreen 2050's vision, goals, and strategies. Our monthly call to action includes information, resources, events, and ways to get involved to support an equitable, healthy, resilient, and carbon-neutral city. Our August call to action focuses on an advanced green economy!

An advanced green economy in Richmond means more green jobs, employers encouraging sustainable practices, more businesses participating in green initiatives, and increased climate-related job training and apprenticeship programs. And while the City can create policies, incentives, and regulations to push this transition forward, the private sector’s flexibility will create market disruption and acceleration through innovative technology and new business models. Ultimately, an advanced green economy will rely on public-private partnerships to ensure these products and practices become accessible and affordable to all Richmonders. 

The City, the private sector, and the community can work together to increase the potential for Richmond residents to participate in the growing "green" sector. Programs that facilitate the transition to affordable, convenient, and reliable electric vehicles and charging stations can bolster an advanced green economy through job training programs that focus on the maintenance and upkeep of charging networks. This effort, for instance, will require coordination between public and private officials to connect new job skills with apprenticeship programs (see what Bridging the Gap is doing below!). Overall, increasing the number of training programs, apprenticeships, and conservation corps/job placement programs in low-income and diverse neighborhoods will be critical. For example, to build capacity for solar power in Richmond, there will need to be job training related to installation, maintenance, and energy efficiency auditing. 

There are currently 13,500 Richmonders working in the field of clean energy which makes up 2.3% of all Richmond metro area jobs. A local carbon-free, green economy will ultimately open up many job opportunities with the most expected gains in the construction and energy management fields. Equitable energy education and outreach, small business assistance, homeowners and renters programs, and incentives for solar installations, for example, would not only reduce energy burdens and carbon emissions but also build a greener and stronger economy.