HPN Becomes Ally to DOE Better Climate Challenge

Dear Members,

HPN is signed on as an Ally to the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Better Climate Challenge (BCC). The BCC is the DOE’s initiative to call on organizational, institutional, and public sector leaders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs, and promote healthy, safe, and thriving communities. Participating organizations to the BCC make a voluntary, non-binding pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 50% over a 10-year period. Allied organizations to the BCC work in partnership with their stakeholders and DOE to identify, recruit, and support organizations interested in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across their U.S. building portfolios.

As an Ally, HPN gains access to DOE technical assistance, working groups, and convenings made available to BCC participants and allies and establishes a direct channel through which HPN can advocate on behalf of member needs. As an Ally, HPN and its Green and Healthy Communities Initiative (GHC) will be better positioned to support members in their pursuit of climate and health initiatives.

BCC builds on the DOE’s earlier Better Buildings Challenge, of which 24 HPN members made energy efficiency commitments. BCC is similarly focused on Multifamily and Financial Services climate efforts and within the first year of DOE launching the BCC, 8 HPN members have made organizational commitments to the emissions reduction challenge.

HPN Member participation in the BCC is entirely voluntary and HPN’s allyship is not a
commitment on behalf of our members, rather is intended to support all HPN member organizations wherever they are in their climate journey, whether they have an organizational-wide commitment to decarbonization, or they are beginning to consider climate strategies.

Through this Allyship, HPN will seek to lift up practitioner experiences and share insights and learnings with all members. To learn more about HPN’s Green and Healthy Communities work or DOE’s Better Climate Challenge, contact Adam Meier, meier@housingpartnership.org.

With appreciation,
Robin

author

Robin Hughes is the president and CEO of Housing Partnership Network, a national collaborative of the nation’s top mission-driven housing developers, financial intermediaries, and advocates. She helps fuel the work of more than 100 urban and rural community development organizations, nine HPN-supported social enterprises, practitioner-led learning and data-sharing strategies, and critical advocacy on state and federal policy priorities to drive systems change.