The Climate Economy Programs are designed to help communities build and implement priority actions that increase economic vitality and affordability in a time of climate change.
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the opening of applications for the sixth round of the Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund, a small catalytic grant program for local innovative climate projects. VCRD launched the fund in 2021 to support local innovators in developing climate and energy solutions for which a small grant could have…
The Climate Catalyst Innovation Fund supports local innovative climate projects for which a small grant could have a meaningful impact at the community level. In this round, $60,500 in grants ranging from $500 to $4,000 were awarded to 17 local projects developing solutions that move Vermont closer to its climate and energy goals. Funded projects…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is pleased to announce recipients of the fifth competitive round of the Climate Catalyst Innovation Fund. The funding supports projects that create new approaches to challenging problems by expanding community resilience and reducing energy use. VCRD received over $137,494 in requests and was able to fund 17 projects…
In the wake of devastating floods in both 2023 and 2024, the Town of Plainfield invited VCRD to facilitate a process to bring together the full diversity of Plainfield residents, organizations, business owners and partners in an open, inclusive dialogue to build connections, and identify actions for recovery and future efforts. The three-part process, facilitated…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the call for Climate Economy Resilient Communities participants for 2026. Through the program, VCRD supports three to five communities each year working on local climate action solutions that help increase climate resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy use, and/or strengthen the local climate economy. Since launching…
Members of the Plainfield community came together Wednesday, September 17th for the second step of the Plainfield Forward resilient communities process and set two concrete and actionable priorities for the future of the town. All area residents, including those displaced from the 2023 and 2024 floods, are encouraged to sign up for these priority groups online…
Plainfield community members are invited to participate in the next step of the Plainfield Forward process to review, discuss and prioritize community-led actions that will improve the future of their town. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 17th from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Haybarn Theater at The Creative Campus at Goddard with free…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the opening of applications for the fifth round of the Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund, a small catalytic grant program for local innovative climate projects. VCRD launched the fund in 2021 to support local innovators in developing climate and energy solutions for which a small grant could have…
Following the anniversaries of intense flooding to much of Vermont including Plainfield, another storm event in the NEK has caused significant damage. With this stark reminder of repeated flooding events as the backdrop, all Plainfield community members are invited to gather at the Haybarn Theater at The Creative Campus at Goddard on Monday July 28th,…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has welcomed nine participants to the 2025 Climate Catalysts Leadership Program. Participants from across the state will focus their time on the implementation of a local climate or energy project such as emergency planning and preparedness, promoting transportation equity, mapping climate/sustainability tools used by the ski industry, celebrating…