13 Innovators Awarded Grants through the SoCal Climate Champions Grant from SoCalGas
SoCalGas, the largest gas distribution utility in the United States, has recently announced the recipients of its SoCal Climate Champions Grant, awarding a total of $400,000 in grant funds to 13 innovative organizations. These grants, with each organization receiving up to $40,000, aim to support projects that focus on resilient energy, clean air, and organic waste to reduce, mitigate, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions.
The SoCal Climate Champions Grant is part of SoCalGas’ Environmental Champions Initiative, which began in 2015 and has awarded over $3.8 million in grants to support projects that improve the environment or lower emissions. Since its inception in 2021, the SoCal Climate Champions Grant has distributed $1 million in grants to nonprofits that are innovating for a more sustainable future.
The 13 organizations selected as grant recipients are the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council, Santa Monica Mountains Fund, The Ecology Center, Wyland Foundation, Akoma Unity Center, San Bernardino Valley College, Trust for Public Land, AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, Go Green Initiative, Friends of Ballona Wetlands, GrowingGreat, and Friends of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.
Jawaad Malik, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer at SoCalGas, expressed his pride in supporting these trailblazing organizations, stating that their climate solutions closely align with SoCalGas’ ASPIRE 2045 Sustainability strategy. He emphasized the importance of these projects in bringing communities closer to meeting California’s net-zero emissions goals.
One of the grant recipients, Trust for Public Land, expressed excitement about the opportunity to expand and implement Green Schoolyard transformations across Los Angeles County. This initiative will increase climate resilience in communities that need it most, contributing to a more sustainable future for Southern California.
SoCalGas’ ASPIRE 2045 sustainability strategy includes a commitment to invest $50 million over five years in underserved communities. The company is actively working with stakeholders to decarbonize its operations and support California in creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to over 21 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. The company plays a crucial role in California’s clean energy transition, providing electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment.
SoCalGas is dedicated to building the cleanest, safest, and most innovative energy infrastructure company in America. As part of this mission, the company aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045. Additionally, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is derived from waste created by landfills and wastewater treatment plants.
In addition to its sustainability efforts, SoCalGas is also focused on investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for customers. The company is a subsidiary of Sempra, an energy infrastructure company based in San Diego.
SoCalGas continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting innovative climate solutions and contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable future for Southern California. Through initiatives like the SoCal Climate Champions Grant, the company is actively working towards achieving its sustainability goals and helping communities thrive in the face of climate change.