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.

Pownal farms put out the welcome mat

By Cherise Madigan, as seen in the Bennington Banner: http://www.benningtonbanner.com/stories/pownal-farms-put-out-the-welcome-mat,539776? POWNAL — Are you ready to discover Pownal? With a slew of events planned for this summer — including farm tours and workshops, an Independence Day picnic, and a fall harvest festival — a Pownal initiative is working to make the town’s farms and food…

Randolph Picks Its Missions: ‘Re-Energized’ Project Inches Toward Goals

By Tim Calabro, as seen in the Randolph Herald: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/randolph-picks-its-missions/ Though the volume of people filling the RUHS cafeteria Monday night was slightly less impressive than the hundreds that took part in the first round of the Randolph Region Re-Energized project, scores of Randolph-area residents turned out to take part in the initiative’s second phase…

Current Programs

Vermonters are creating answers to climate change that will be foundations for the economic renewal of the state. The Climate Economy is the economy of the future, informed by Vermont’s history of independence, frugality, resiliency, and innovation. Our current Climate Economy programs and strategies include: Climate Economy Resilient Communities Technical assistance and support to communities…

Catalysts of the Climate Economy Summit – 2017

Over 500 entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders attended the cc:econ Catalysts of the Climate Economy Summit – a 3-day national innovation summit in Burlington, Vermont to gear up for the next stage of economic development and prosperity in a low-carbon future and accelerate progress toward the significant economic opportunities associated with solving the unprecedented challenges…

Empower Pownal Report – 2017

Pownal was the first community to participate in VCRD’s Climate Economy Model Community Program (CEMCP), named Empower Pownal. CEMCP is community-driven process with local leaders, VCRD, Green Mountain Power, and Efficiency Vermont to cultivate economic development, innovation, and affordability in the face of climate change. Read the Empower Pownal Report and Action Plan. Through the…

Conquering Climate Change One Business at a Time

By Terri Hallenbeck, as seen in Seven Days: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/conquering-climate-change-one-business-at-a-time/Content?oid=8281954 When Paul Costello and his team of organizers started putting together a conference on climate change a few months ago, they decided this one wouldn't be about politics or public policy. Instead, they opted to celebrate entrepreneurs who are trying to combat climate change while also…

Green business summit aims to spur national investment

By Kevin O’Connor as seen in vtdigger.org: https://vtdigger.org/2017/08/20/green-business-summit-aims-spur-national-investment/ Paul Costello doesn’t want to talk about the polarizing problem of climate change. He wants to talk about solutions. “We have smart, creative people advancing innovations around agriculture, clean energy, green building, transportation and wise use of resources, recycling and digital technologies,” says the executive director of…

Robert Miller Commentary: Climate economy is an important opportunity

As seen in vtdigger.org: https://vtdigger.org/2017/08/16/robert-miller-climate-economy-important-opportunity/ Editor’s note: This commentary is by Robert Miller, of Shelburne, who is CEO of VSECU and a former commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic Development. He serves on the boards of the Vermont Council on Rural Development, Capstone Community Action and the Energy Action Network. He is on the…

Costello Commentary: Coming Together to Answer Climate Change

As seen in the Times-Argus: https://www.timesargus.com/articles/answering-the-climate-challenge/ This week saw yet another disturbing climate change report in the news—this one authored by U.S. Government officials—highlighting the grave danger humanity faces from climate change. To answer the challenge, we will need leadership, entrepreneurship and creativity. That creativity is all around us in Vermont. We will celebrate that…