Ann Arbor's big decarbonization bet

Run by a nonprofit dedicated to creating economic development opportunities in underserved communities, the Solar Works DC training program provides people interested in entering the solar industry with certifications. The trainees are paid and spend up to seven weeks learning in the classroom and on the job.

The Shred Up Halabja Recycling Center is the first successful plastic collection and recycling system in Halabja, Iraq. The project collects plastics from schools, homes, and public places to recycle and turn into usable products. It also educates students about the importance of recycling to encourage understanding and innovation.

Feldheim, Germany, built an entirely self-sufficient, decentralized energy grid with funding from residents, the European Union, and the state. They produce their energy with wind turbines, a solar farm, and agricultural waste.

Gorongosa National Park is a leader in community-driven conservation efforts. Last year, surrounding communities planted more than 260,000 coffee trees and 20,000 indigenous trees. The park has also led to employment for 1,500 locals, in an effort to protect the environment and keep the local economy afloat.

Nairobi is using a unique restoration technique called the Miyawaki method to restore local ecosystems by creating forest islands in urban areas that have lost their green spaces. Since 2007, this reforestation method has established mini forests in three regions throughout the city, as the project has planted over 236,212 seedlings.

Facing sky-high utility costs and accessibility challenges, the community of Molokaʻi, Hawaii, took their energy security into their own hands and developed an energy-resilience-focused action plan. Backed by the primary state utility, the community is installing solar arrays and batteries, some of which are collectively owned and subscription-based. At the same time, the solar cooperative is cultivating a local workforce specialized in solar infrastructure.

A utility company in Framingham, Massachusetts, worked with climate advocates to build a unique geothermal heating and cooling project that spans a whole neighborhood. A group of residential and commercial buildings share the infrastructure necessary to harness stable underground temperatures for heating and cooling, which reduces their greenhouse gas emissions and energy bills.

The United States Envrionmental Protection Agency is distributing grant money to help tribes like the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma start and grow recycling programs, as funding is often a massive hurdle. The tribe was able to purchase equipment like a semi-truck and compactor with the funds.

Mobile homeowners are buying the land their homes are on to form resident-owned cooperatives so they can upgrade infrastructure faster. This allows them to combat and adapt to climate change by installing things like solar panels and drainage systems.

Thanks to a government-funded electrification project, Modhera is the first solar-powered village in India, and as a result, nearly all of the residents pay nothing for electricity. Instead, they earn money from selling unused power back to the grid.