Climate Action Plans to be Amplified by Outreach Campaign, Annual Municipal Awards Next Month

Sustainable CT, a statewide program that supports municipal sustainability initiatives, announced this summer that its 2023 cohort of Sustainable CT Fellows are currently working on developing strategies and materials for an extensive outreach campaign to support the implementation of EPA-funded Climate Action Plans across the state. 

The State of Connecticut and Councils of Governments (COGs) are in the early planning stages of developing Climate Action Plans for the state and four metropolitan areas, including the Fairfield, New Haven, and Hartford area, as well as the Worcester, Massachusetts area, which covers portions of northeastern Connecticut. The Sustainable CT Fellows are working with the COGs in support of the metropolitan area plans.

Sustainable CT has also announced that announced that their 2023 Awards Celebration will be held at the site of the American Mural Project in Winsted on October 17th from 4-7 p.m. The Sustainable CT Awards Celebration honors municipalities that have achieved bronze, silver, or gold certification, or Climate Leader Designation during Sustainable CT’s spring and fall certification cycles. The 2023 Sustainable CT Awards Celebration is free and open to the public. Those wishing to attend should register early as space is limited.

Climate Action Planning is made possible with the support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program. The CPRG program is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and provides $5 billion in grants to support state and local government efforts to develop and implement plans for reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The first round of plans, known as Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAP), are due in March of 2024. Initial plan development began this summer, and Sustainable CT Fellows are working together to help lay the groundwork now for effective future outreach, the feedback from which will inform the plan development and implementation process. 

The outreach strategy and materials development being undertaken by Sustainable CT Fellows focuses on equity and volume, with an intention to capture input from populations and voices that are often missed in traditional planning processes. The current strategy is to develop a variety of outreach materials in various media formats such as flyers, video, messaging, social media, public events, and educational content. 

Morgan Casey, a fellow at the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, is working to develop content for different social media platforms. "Social media is an important part of climate outreach, as it brings together young and diverse audiences with different interests,” says Casey. “Information can circulate faster, and more voices can be heard, which is something the COGs want to focus on with CPRG outreach."

Michael Towle, Deputy Director for the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, anticipates valuable results from the Sustainable CT Fellows, stating, “The COGs are looking forward to utilizing the resources developed this summer through Sustainable CT for their Climate Action Plans.”

The American Mural Project’s values and mission closely align to those of Sustainable CT, especially around collaboration and inclusion. Lynn Stoddard, executive director of Sustainable CT says, "The American Mural Project is an inspiring new museum that celebrates community, inclusivity, and the contributions of many individuals who have helped shape the culture and vibrancy of Connecticut and our nation. We’re excited to hold our 2023 Awards Celebration in one of the towns that earned certification this year."

The largest indoor collaborative piece of artwork in the world, the American Mural Project is a three-dimensional mural spanning 120 feet in length and five stories in height. Serving as a pictorial chronicle, the mural portrays a diverse spectrum of laborers who have enriched American society and culture over the past century, and is a celebration of ingenuity, productivity, and inclusiveness.

The project was first conceived by American artist, photographer and designer Ellen Griesedieck in 1999, and each figure displayed on the mural depicts a real person she met while creating the piece. A former mill building in Winsted was purchased in 2006 to house the work and underwent extensive renovations supported by a federal brown fields grant and matching funds from the State of Connecticut. Additional renovations to a companion building are intended to provide flexible program and retail space, a café and theater.