Advocacy Resource: Priority Climate Action Plans Need Community Composting

A Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) is a documented plan reflecting a jurisdiction’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

• Plans must include a focused list of near-term, high-priority, and implementation-ready GHG reduction “measures”
• Measures include projects, programs, policies, activities, strategies, series of steps, and actions to achieve plan goals
• Stakeholders, relevant entities, and eligible applicants should participate in the PCAP development process (Phase 1) to provide input on priority measures and best practices to include in the plan

Funding from the Implementation Grants General Competition ($4.3 billion) will ONLY be allocated to “measures” (projects, programs, activities, strategies, etc.) explicitly included in a jurisdiction’s Priority Climate Action Plan (which are due March 1, 2024** for the general competition). 

Key sectors generally used in PCAPs:

1. Electricity Generation/Electric Power
2. Industry
3. Transportation
4. Commercial & Residential Buildings
5. Agriculture
6. Natural and Working Lands
7. Waste, Water & Sustainable Materials Management

**PCAPs for the Competition for Tribes and Territories are due April 1, 2024. 

We aim to ensure the inclusion of local and community composting into PCAPs as a cross-cutting and multi-sector strategy.

Climate action plans generally include composting strategies to reduce GHG emissions from landfills and are often confined to the waste sector. Strategies to sequester carbon occasionally include compost procurement and use but are usually limited to agricultural efforts. However, policies supporting diverse, distributed, and local composting infrastructure have numerous benefits beyond emissions reductions and the waste sector.

Grant Priorities  & Evaluation Criteria	Cross-Cutting Benefits of Community Composting
Reduce GHG Emissions	Reduces GHG emissions through: Waste diversion from polluting landfills Carbon sequestration in compost Curtailing use of carbon-intensive fertilizers Cutting travel distance for hauling and transporting
Equity	Provides alternative to landfills and incinerators disproportionately affecting poor and Black neighborhoods Low-tech and inexpensive systems build capacity in minority and low-income areas Enhances resiliency for frontline communities hardest hit by extreme weather and natural disasters Creates jobs and facilitates social engagement in underserved communities Provides green space and natural environment in underserved neighborhoods
Community Benefits & Engagement	Promotes health and safety Physical and outdoor activity Diversion from landfills emitting harmful pollutants Enhances community climate resiliency Mitigates stormwater run-off via improved rainwater infiltration Combats soil erosion via improved soil aggregation Strengthens food systems and security Benefits are kept local and in the community Creates opportunities for citizen engagement and experiential learning for all ages
Job Creation & Employment	Creates more jobs than landfills or incinerators Stimulates local economy and supports small businesses and local farmers
Transformative Impact	Can be implemented quickly, is scalable, and is replicable Improves agricultural practices & builds healthy soil Enhances carbon sequestration
Efficiency	Cost-effective and less expensive than landfills & incinerators Accelerates decarbonization across multiple sectors Facilitates sustainable materials management developing a local circular economy

 

“EPA has prepared the following illustrative list of potential GHG reduction measures for which applicants may choose to seek CPRG implementation grant funding. This list is neither exhaustive nor definitive with respect to the measures that may be included in competitive applications under this NOFO.”

We have highlighted specific measures below that could connect to advancing composting.

“EPA has prepared the following illustrative list of potential GHG reduction measures for which applicants may choose to seek CPRG implementation grant funding. This list is neither exhaustive nor definitive with respect to the measures that may be included in competitive applications under this NOFO.”

We have noted specific measures in bold below that could connect to advancing composting.

Transportation Sector 

• Programs to increase the share of electric light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles and to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure
• Electrification requirements for state, municipal, territorial, and tribal vehicle, transit, or equipment fleets
• Transportation pricing programs that reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), such as parking pricing and congestion and road pricing
• Policies to support transportation management incentive programs to reduce vehicle trips or travel and expand transit use, such as van-pool programs, ridesharing, transit fare subsidies, and bicycle facilities 
• New or expanded transportation infrastructure projects to facilitate public transit, micro-mobility, car sharing, bicycle, and pedestrian modes
• Incentive programs to purchase zero-emission vehicles and equipment to replace older heavy-duty diesel vehicles and equipment
• Programs to increase efficiency and reduce GHG emissions at ports and freight terminals, such as vehicle or equipment idle reduction, vessel-speed reduction, equipment electrification, and shore power
• Update building and zoning codes to encourage walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented development
• Encourage mode shift from private vehicles to walking, biking, and public transportation (e.g., complete streets, bike share programs, bike storage facilities, low-speed electric bicycle subsidies, public transit subsidies) 

Electric Power Sector

• Renewable portfolio standards and/or clean electricity standards
• Energy efficiency portfolio standards
• Emission trading systems (e.g., cap-and-trade programs) and carbon pricing measures
• GHG performance standards for electric generating units
• Installation of renewable energy and energy storage systems on municipal facilities
• Programs to support smart-grid and/or behind-the-meter technologies to reduce power losses, reduce peak demand, and enable consumer participation in distributed generation
• Targeted incentives for installation of renewable energy and energy storage systems on commercial and residential buildings, such as net metering, tax credits, rebates, and streamlined interconnection standards
• Policies and measures to streamline permitting for renewable energy projects
• Development of distributed or community-scale renewable energy generation, microgrids, or vehicle-to-grid infrastructure in disadvantaged communities, including remote and rural regions

Building Sector

• Adoption and implementation of the most up-to-date building energy codes or stretch codes for new commercial and residential buildings  
• Implementation of a clean heat standard
• Incentive programs for implementation of end-use energy efficiency measures in existing government-owned, commercial, and residential buildings
• Incentive programs for the purchase of certified energy-efficient appliances, heating and cooling equipment, lighting, and building products to replace inefficient products
• Programs and policies to promote electrification of government-owned, commercial, and residential buildings
• Programs and policies to accelerate the incorporation of efficient electric technologies and electric vehicle charging at new single-family, multi-unit, or affordable residential buildings and commercial buildings, including building codes related to electric vehicle charging Implementation of a building energy performance management program for government-owned buildings
• Implementation of a new benchmarking and building performance standards
• Programs to promote recovery and destruction of high-global warming potential (GWP) hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used in existing appliances, air conditioning systems, and commercial chillers

Industrial Sector

• Standards addressing GHG emissions from industrial facilities and from energy production sectors, including emissions from industrial process heat and industrial processes
• Programs to support or incentivize implementation of energy efficiency measures in industry, including energy audits, strategic energy management, equipment upgrades, and waste heat utilization
• Programs to support or incentivize GHG reductions in industrial energy use and industrial processes, including use of low/no carbon fuels, electrification, renewable energy, and process improvements
• Programs to develop, expand, and support markets for low-embodied carbon materials and products, such as cement and steel 

Waste, Water, and Sustainable Materials Management Sector

• Standards and incentives to reduce methane emissions from landfills and wastewater treatment facilities, including through collection for use or destruction  
• Programs and incentives to reduce or divert waste (including food and/or yard waste) through improved production practices, improved collection services, and increased reuse or recycling rates 
• Programs and incentives to reduce GHG emissions associated with plastics production, use, and waste management 
• Programs to expand composting and bio-digestion infrastructure to reduce GHG emissions and increase beneficial use of organic waste 
• Policies and programs to reduce construction and demolition waste through building reuse, deconstruction, and material diversion and reuse
• Installation of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures at wastewater treatment facilities

Agricultural Sector

• Incentive programs to fund electric agricultural equipment technologies
• Incentives for technologies and techniques that reduce nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer application 
• Incentives to promote anaerobic digesters to capture methane and generate renewable energy or produce renewable fuel

Carbon Removal Measures

• Policies to promote improved forest management to enhance carbon stocks on forested land
• Urban afforestation and green infrastructure programs and projects 
• Restoration of degraded lands (e.g., brownfields, mine reclamation) and forested lands to enhance carbon sequestration 
• Policies to enhance carbon stocks in coastal estuaries, such as wetlands and mangroves.