Focus Areas
Con Edison feels an urgency to confront the threat that climate change poses to our communities and help New Yorkers adapt to a changing world.
Our efforts focus on:
Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
We will harness nature-based solutions to preserve and restore our natural environment while preparing communities to adjust to climate change impacts.
Focal Points:
- Climate Change Adaptation: Support initiatives that restore or preserve our natural environment and urban ecosystems. Special attention will be given to projects focused on urban forests and green space conservation, restoring rivers and wetlands, and preserving native species and biodiversity.
- Climate Change Mitigation: Support nature-based solutions to help people in priority communities adjust to the current and future effects of climate change. Special attention will be given to projects using green and blue infrastructure land management programs, which are designed to reduce the effects of extreme weather, increase flood control, and lower urban heat.
Social Justice
We are applying our resources to help organizations and social movements that address systemic social justice issues—through skill building, action, and advocacy.
Focal Points:
- Community Resilience: Support initiatives to ensure that marginalized and disadvantaged communities have the capacity, leadership, and agency to address environmental and climate change. Issue areas may include environmental justice, climate justice, resilience against extreme weather events, and long-term climate adaptation strategies.
- Economic Empowerment and Opportunity: Collaborate with social justice organizations whose goals are to reduce the racial, ethnic, and gender wealth gap and expanding access to resources for nonprofits that serve disadvantaged populations. Special attention will be given to initiatives that focus on workforce development for non-green jobs and tech; small business growth and resilience; and financial literacy.
- Human Rights and Democracy: Partner with social justice organizations that are providing the building blocks to address discrimination, bias, and opportunity inequities for marginalized and disadvantaged communities. Program support may include initiatives that equip individuals and communities with knowledge and tools to advocate for their rights and participate fully in the democratic processes.
This includes funding to assist with skill building, leadership development, capacity building, coalition building, civic engagement, and community organizing and outreach.
Clean Energy and Technology Careers
We will foster a new generation of workers by supporting access to education, skills training, economic supports, and hiring and/or career advancement opportunities. We are preparing more New Yorkers for well-paying jobs in emerging and in-demand clean energy, technology, and community resilience careers.
Focal Points:
- Skills Training: Training programs that equip new and existing workers with the skills and credentials needed for sustainable, well-paying careers, in high-demand clean energy and technology fields—with prioritization for individuals from disadvantaged communities.
- Career Exploration & Pathways: Programs, workshops, and initiatives that build awareness of career paths and further educational and career goals in clean energy and technology fields for teenagers (grade 9 and above) and adults.
- Energy Ecosystems: Foster innovations, partnerships, movements, and coalitions that bring together business, training providers, and community organizations to develop clean energy and workforce strategies to help workers access quality careers and address specific challenges.
Program support may include skills-based training, barrier reduction and retention services, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, paid internships, career coaching, curriculum development, and coalition and network-building.
Eligibility
Check your grant eligibility on our apply for grants page.