New Handbook Helps Companies Integrate a Community Benefits Approach into Decarbonization Projects
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2025 12:00 pm ET
The Latest Resource from the Renewable Thermal Collaborative is a Go-To Guide for Developing Community Partnerships
January 24, 2025 (Washington, DC) – The Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC) today published its new Community Benefits Handbook. The Handbook is designed to help RTC Members, Solutions Providers, and other large thermal energy users successfully partner with community stakeholders to deliver tangible, equity-based benefits to their local communities. The new handbook was produced for the RTC by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Sustain Our Future Foundation, and WSP. The Handbook, released today and discussed in a webinar featuring the report authors, helps users align sustainability with social, economic, and environmental co-benefits for local and disadvantaged communities, and also meet community benefits requirements tied to state and federal tax credits, grants, and municipal ordinances.
As the leading global coalition for companies, institutions, and government entities committed to scaling up the use of renewable heating and cooling at their facilities to drastically cut carbon emissions, the RTC has an ambitious goal to slash U.S. industrial thermal energy emissions by 30% over the next decade. The RTC is committed to advancing a thermal energy transition that is just, equitable, inclusive, and accessible.
The RTC’s community benefits efforts are guided by a Community Benefits Advisory Board (CBAB) chaired by Thom Kay of the BlueGreen Alliance and Trina Mallik of Lotus Climate Solutions. CBAB members provide the advice, guidance, and support necessary for the development of activities that consider community impacts, benefits, and opportunities. The Community Benefits Handbook is one of the first activities undertaken by the Board.
“The Community Benefits Handbook is a practical, implementable guide for companies to authentically engage with communities affected by energy infrastructure projects. The Handbook not only prevents the risks that come from a lack of or poor community engagement, but also has the potential to realize the upsides of meaningful engagement that result in mutual benefit for communities and companies. It is long overdue guidance for companies to achieve decarbonization while uplifting surrounding communities,” said Trina Mallik, CBAB co-chair.
“In the face of the climate crisis and its disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities, this handbook provides RTC Members with the tools to bridge the gap between corporate sustainability goals and community well-being,” said Yinka N. Bode-George, Founder and CEO of Sustain Our Future Foundation. “Community stakeholders can be invaluable partners for companies. By outlining key steps and best practices, this handbook can help companies collaborate with community stakeholders to build trust, co-create solutions, deliver meaningful benefits, and address barriers that frequently disrupt the deployment of sustainable infrastructure projects.”
The Handbook breaks down key terms and concepts to build a foundational understanding of community benefits, while also outlining the critical processes, insights, best practices, and models needed to effectively design and implement these initiatives. The Handbook will serve as a practical, go-to guide to help companies develop community partnerships that are fruitful for all stakeholders.
“We need to include communities if we want to tackle the climate crisis and build a strong clean energy economy with long lasting and sustainable industries. This handbook is a great tool for sustainability practitioners that are committed to driving solutions that are good for business and positive for people and nature,” said Carlos Claussell, Climate Justice Manager at WWF.
“Community stakeholders are essential partners who can pave the way for success. The RTC is committed to supporting Members, Solutions Providers, policymakers, and other decision-makers in ensuring that the renewable thermal transition is just, equitable, inclusive, and accessible,” said Blaine Collison, Executive Director of the RTC.
Download the Community Benefits Handbook at https://www.renewablethermal.org/community-benefits-handbook/.
Media Contacts
Ben Finzel (for RTC)
+1-202-277-6286
ben@renewpr.com
Matt McFarland (for WWF)
+1 703.801.9274
matt.mcfarland@wwfus.org
About the Community Benefits Handbook Partners
Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC) is a global coalition of companies, institutions, and governments committed to helping reach midcentury climate goals by scaling up renewable heating and cooling technologies at their facilities to dramatically reduce their carbon emissions. The RTC collaborates with its members and sponsors to accelerate industrial decarbonization by addressing and identifying ways to overcome the technology, policy, and market challenges that large thermal energy users face. Visit www.renewablethermal.org to learn more.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is an independent conservation organization, with over 30 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit www.panda.org/news for the latest news and media resources and follow us on X: @WWF_media.
Sustain Our Future Foundation raises the standard of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices to center holistic benefits to those most negatively impacted by industrial pollution and the climate crisis. Visit https://www.sustainourfuture.org/ to learn more.
WSP USA’s sustainability, energy, and climate change (SECC) team helps clients navigate a complex sustainability and energy landscape and unlock opportunities to maximize positive impacts on sustainability objectives. Visit https://www.wsp.com/en-us/ to learn more.
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