Second round of Community Clean Air Grant applications open

The Environment Department opened applications for the second round of the Community Clean Air Grant program. Funded through the Air Pollution Control Commission, the City is seeking to support locally-driven proposals from residents, nonprofit organizations, and businesses for projects that will produce meaningful, measurable steps to reduce the emissions that contribute to climate change and air pollution. There will be three rounds of funding throughout the year for projects that will contribute to the City of Boston’s 2019 Climate Action Plan Update, which details specific actions the City is taking over five years to significantly cut emissions across all sectors in order to reach our goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

The Community Clean Air Grant is open to any individual or entity who would like to respond, and the City encourages participation from small, local, minority-owned, women-owned, and other disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) and entities. In order to be eligible for funding, proposals must do at least one of the following:

• Eliminate or otherwise address specific sources of air pollution within Boston
• Reduce the negative health impacts of air pollution emissions within Boston
• Enhance the ability of local communities in Boston to improve local air quality
• Have a measurable impact on air quality or carbon emissions within Boston

The City strongly encourages partnerships with and among local community groups and partners, and has provided a directory on the web page to encourage collaboration and joint proposals. To ensure the program is accessible and all interested applicants have as much information as possible, the applications and materials are available in English, Español (Spanish), Kreyòl ayisyen (Haitian Creole), 繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese), 简体中文 (Simplified Chinese), Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese), and kriolu (Cape Verdean Creole). For anyone interested in applying, the Environment, Energy, and Open Space staff is offering two informational webinars and is hosting office hours to provide more information, answer questions, and assist with completing applications. Applications are due by September 24, 2021. 

Apply online

We're also holding office hours on Wednesdays, 3 - 5 p.m. Register for office hours.

Air pollution contributes to higher rates of cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and has been linked to higher COVID-19 mortality rates. Some air pollutants, like methane and carbon dioxide, are also greenhouse gases, which warm the atmosphere and lead to higher temperatures and rising seas. Communities located near highways and other major transportation infrastructure, and socially vulnerable populations, such as people of color, older residents, children, and people with chronic illnesses, are negatively impacted at a higher rate than others.