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Welcome to Emerald Cities
Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) is a national nonprofit organization founded in 2009 that advances racial, economic, and climate justice to build communities that are more equitable, economically just, and sustainable. Headquartered in Washington, DC, ECC implements replicable place-based strategies in community and worker powerbuilding, economic inclusion, and equitable implementation, in five regions (Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, Northeast, and D.C./Maryland/Virginia) and select cities throughout the US.
Additionally, ECC’s national Civic Infrastructure and Strategic Initiatives provide a broad range of policy capacity, program leadership, coalition building, and technical assistance to community-based organizations, government, and more.
Our Mission, Purpose & Vision
Purpose
Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) centers and collaborates with frontline communities, especially communities of color, to ensure that they are at the forefront of decision making, that they benefit from the economic opportunities of the transition to clean energy, and to drive climate investments back to those communities.
Mission
Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) advances racial, economic, and climate justice to build communities that are more equitable, economically just, and sustainable through replicable strategies in community and worker powerbuilding, economic inclusion, and equitable implementation.
Vision
We envision healthy, sustainable, powerful, and thriving communities, especially communities
of color.
Our Impact
Numbers tell a story, and ours reflect the meaningful change created by ECC. Explore the metrics below to see the tangible impact of our work—transforming communities, driving equity, and fostering sustainability every step of the way.
Community Impact
Program/Project Development
System Reform
6 Title I High Schools
In South/Southeast Los Angeles County now have a community college STEAM experiential learning program spearheaded by ECC to create pathways for underrepresented students into architecture, engineering, construction, and environmental careers.
360 Title 1 high school students
Completed energy, green building courses and industry certifications
$250 B
Invested to develop high-road energy efficiency, water and solar projects thanks to ECC leadership. Includes 17 government buildings, two water infrastructure projects and over 20 affordable housing projects.
1 Place-based Community Resilience Project
Initiated and co-sponsor a multi-stakeholder collaborative to leverage the buying power of Anchor institutions with community assets to invest in community climate resilience initiatives.
$20 M
Sustainable food processing facility spearheaded by ECC in the San Francisco Bay Area will employ 150 local workers into union jobs and worker cooperative, and utilize Black and Brown urban growers as suppliers.
12 Community College Training Programs
In community organizing co-sponsored with the Community Learning Partnership preparing the next generation of community change agents through experiential learning and credentials.
$19 M
In energy efficiency, clean energy and green infrastructure contracts have been awarded to MWDBE contractors as a result of ECC leadership.
3 RENEW Affordable Housing Programs
Established to help affordable housing developers audit, finance, and retrofit their buildings to be energy and water efficient in San Francisco, Seattle and Boston.
Energy & Water Equity Policies
Successfully passed In building electrification, building performance standards local, net metering, water affordability working in local and national coalitions
Our Work
ECC has proven that multi-stakeholder, intersectional models work. Whether your goal is to create more opportunities for underrepresented contractors, workers and youth to participate in sustainable development projects; or you seek to engage anchor institutions in local climate resilience efforts; or you need help building an inclusive local corps of environmental/ climate/economic justice advocates, ECC offers programs that can help guide your community along the high road.
Testimonials
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“In 2009, our idea of a high-road economy was considered “interesting,” but untested. We spent a year building the vision and the partnerships, and the next decade turning our vision into action. Today, we have proven models of multi-sector collaboration focused on creating a more sustainable, equitable and democratic future.”
Joel Rogers, J.D., PhD.
COWS Director, University of Wisconsin & Co-Chair, ECC Board
“[ECC] brings together a wide array of sectors to solve the problems of greening our cities, building our communities, and of economic justice.”
Sunia Zaterman
Executive Director, Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA)
“We are excited to see the growth of this vision and movement toward an equitable, clean economy. It is this dynamism and our results to date that inspire us to head confidently into the next decade.”
Gerald (Gerry) Hudson
SEIU Secretary-Treasurer and Co-Chair, ECC Board
