Workshops set to bring together local leaders to prioritize regional climate action

Two upcoming workshops will help eligible organizations develop funding proposals related to climate resilience in the Kansas City region.

The passage of the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act has created the most significant opportunity for transformational infrastructure investment in a generation. Mobilizing this scale of funding will require increased local and regional coordination and the development of larger-scale projects.

The existing Kansas City Regional Climate Action Plan creates a voluntary framework to guide and align local action in ways that make a difference for the entire region. These new funding opportunities provide an opportunity to improve this effort into a resilience-focused project pipeline: a Priority Climate Action Plan.

MARC is offering two workshops to help guide eligible federal funding applicants (and other infrastructure project champions) toward larger, more regionally collaborative approaches when seeking funds:

• The resilience-focused workshop will address multiple areas of our existing plan, including food systems, green infrastructure, resilience hubs, circular economy and more.
• The mitigation workshop will include discussions on transportation systems, building energy efficiency and energy generation, among other factors.

Environmental justice will be integral to all discussions. Participants will leave with at least one strong funding proposal concept.

Audiences who might benefit from the workshops include:

• Local government staff.
• Public institution staff.
• Nonprofit staff.
• Community-based organization staff.
• Experts in transportation, energy, buildings, public health, food and agriculture, solid waste, and water and green infrastructure.
• Representatives from other relevant sectors.
• Environmental justice advocates and representatives of climate vulnerable communities.

Please note the workshops will take place in the days leading up to the Kansas City Regional Climate Action Summit but are separate from the summit itself with separate registrations and different locations than the summit.