30 May New Funding for Local Sustainability Projects!

The City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability invites you to respond to the attached Request for Applications (RFA) for Local Sustainability Projects to be funded through the Positive Impact on Climate and Community (PICC) program.

To provide some background:

Large events and festivals in Austin involve over a million attendees annually and have an environmental impact involving air and ground transportation, energy and water usage, food service, and material waste.  The City of Austin has partnered with local event organizers to create the Positive Impact on Climate and Community (PICC) program to mitigate some of these impacts.  The program will raise funds through ticket purchases or other funding mechanisms; funds collected will be split between third-party-verified greenhouse gas emission reduction projects in Texas and local projects in Austin that create tangible sustainability and community benefits.

The following organizations are working together with the City’s Office of Sustainability to implement the pilot phase of the PICC program:

·         ACL Live at the Moody Theater

·         Austin City Limits Music Festival

·         Circuit of The Americas LLC

Environmental Defense Fund will provide additional oversight of the PICC program, helping to establish sustainability criteria for local projects and carbon offset projects.

A copy of the RFA can be downloaded at www.austintexas.gov/department/positive-impact-climate-community.  Any clarifications or amendments to the RFP will be posted on the City of Austin website. An information meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 3, 2013 and questions about the RFA can be submitted to sustainability@austintexas.gov.  Submittals are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 1, 2013.

Thank you,