Call summary :

EJ4Climate: Environmental Justice and Climate Resilience Grant Program

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is accepting applications for projects to fund under the EJ4Climate Grant Program. Proposals are due by 9 November 2023 and projects will start in April 2024.

The third cycle of EJ4Climate grants will address the theme “Community empowerment strategies to improve resilience to extreme weather events in urban settings.”
The EJ4Climate Grant Program provides funding to projects that target underserved and vulnerable communities, and Indigenous communities, in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, to prepare them for climate-related impacts. EJ4Climate seeks to support environmental justice by facilitating the involvement and empowerment of communities searching for solutions and the development of partnerships to address their environmental and human health vulnerabilities, including those due to climate change impacts.

The CEC is calling for initiatives meeting the following criteria:
- Support community resilience to climate change and climate-related impacts.
- Benefit underserved and vulnerable communities, and/or Indigenous communities, and ensure the meaningful participation of local residents.
- Include a sound implementation plan, that identifies actors, actions, beneficiaries, goals, and tangible, measurable results.
- Create formal or informal partnerships, collaborations or linkages among relevant stakeholders.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), civil society groups, environmental groups, community-based associations, faith-based organizations, tribal nations, and Indigenous Peoples and communities.

Selection criteria
Applicants will be evaluated based on the quality and extent to which they demonstrate that they:
• Address the focus area identified by the CEC Council in the Call for Proposals;
• Outline the added value of implementing the project within an urban area and explain the possible impacts of performing activities in such context;
• Have or will strengthen the organizational capabilities and include other elements/resources to successfully perform the project and contribute to a continued and long-lasting impact once funding has concluded;
• Have a sound and clear implementation plan, involving the community-based/grassroots leadership, that identifies actors, actions, beneficiaries, goals, and tangible, measurable results that will be achieved at the community level within the timeframe;
• Will implement a project that could inspire or be replicated in other regions or communities; and
• Create formal or informal partnerships, collaborations or linkages among relevant stakeholders, such as different levels of government, local or indigenous communities, academia (and/or youth), non-governmental organizations, or the private sector, that respond to community-identified challenges.
Applications will be evaluated based on the quality and extent to which the applicant demonstrates:
• How the project integrates empowerment in support of environmental justice and climate resilience.
• How and why the project will help protect human health and the environment more effectively, and help the urban community and ecosystems become more sustainable and resilient to extreme weather events.
• How the project will significantly benefit overburdened communities in urban areas, and the extent to which it engages and strengthens the capacities of these communities or ensures the meaningful participation of local residents in the design, planning, implementation/performance of the project.
o This includes evaluating the quality and extent to which the applicant demonstrates how it will engage and work with community-based organizations and other appropriate parties to enhance the effectiveness of the project.
o The extent of support and involvement of the local community, including the community-based/non-profit organizations, for the concept and project write-up.

• How the project will address the disproportionate and adverse human health, environmental, climate-related, and other cumulative impacts7 resulting from industrial, governmental, commercial, and/or other actions that have affected and/or currently affect the overburdened communities.
Applications may be given additional consideration if the applicant describes how the proposal will:
• Promote actions and policies that generate synergies between mitigation and adaptation and that contribute to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Align with the CEC’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan.
• Identify areas of opportunity to confront climate change from a gender