| Emerald Cities Collaborative | |
| Type: | Non-governmental organization |
| Founded Date: | 2009 |
| Location: | Washington, DC, United States |
| Area Served: | United States |
| Key People: | Denise Fairchild, President and CEO |
| Focus: | Green Building, Social Justice |
| Method: | Job training, investment, advocacy |
Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) is a national non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., with affiliate offices in Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, San Francisco and Seattle.[1] Founded in 2009, Emerald Cities has the stated goal of creating "high-road" local economies that are sustainable, just and inclusive.
The collaborative comprises more than 21 national organizations and focuses on retrofitting urban building stock, developing infrastructure, and promoting diverse local economies built around energy efficiency.[2]
In 2022, Emerald Cities Collaborative, along with HR&A Advisors, Elevate, and the American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), announced the launch of Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity (R2E2) program. The aim is to introduce energy-saving home retrofit strategies for communities throughout the United States that are often left out of climate investments.[3]
Emerald Cities runs a number of programs oriented towards sustainability and energy efficiency, including the RENEW Multi-family Program, the Community College Initiative, and an online training program for small and minority contractors on energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofitting.[4] [5] [6] The organization also engages in workforce development, providing labor-community partnerships, training programs, and career pipelines to pair qualified individuals with green jobs. These programs include the Architecture, Construction and Engineering Students (ACES) Pathway Program and Skills Build us, a construction apprenticeship assistance program and a contractor academy for minority businesses in Boston.[7] [8] Additionally, Emerald Cities advocates locally and nationally for policy supporting efficient infrastructure and contracting that includes minority-owned businesses.[9] [10]
The Emerald Cities Collaborative has chapters in the following cities:
Donors to the Emerald Cities Collaborative include: