HUD Secretary Fudge Joins DOE Secretary Granholm to Announce Better Climate Challenge
Secretary Fudge Announces Inaugural Low Carbon Multifamily Housing Partners

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge joined Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm and White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy to announce the inaugural Better Climate Challenge, a private-public partnership led by DOE with over 80 American businesses and organizations that have signed on to ambitious carbon reduction goals. The Better Climate Challenge also encourages partners to share pathways to decarbonization among each other to multiply the impact of their innovative strategies to decarbonize.

HUD supports the multifamily component of the Better Climate Challenge, one of several building sectors participating in the Challenge.

"The Challenge is not just about cutting carbon pollution but about supporting communities that all too often bear the brunt of climate change while seeing too few of the benefits from the energy transition," said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. "We have a tremendous opportunity to deliver climate justice to disadvantaged communities, lower energy expenses in affordable housing, and accelerate mitigation efforts to protect at-risk communities from natural disasters and the impacts of climate change. That is why I'm pleased that of the organizations stepping up to this challenge, seven are public housing and multifamily partners, representing a bright future for more than 40,000 families. We are delighted to partner with DOE on this initiative and look forward to our continued work together."

"Companies across America are joining arms to lead the zero-carbon transition through smart, strategic climate solutions that slash building and factory emissions and significantly cut costs," said Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm. "With the help of DOE, the meaningful and measurable emissions reductions of the Better Climate Challenge will save American businesses billions of dollars, create good-paying jobs, and drive innovation that strengthens the entire U.S. economy."

"The bold climate goals of the Better Climate Challenge will foster cutting-edge innovation and help American businesses decarbonize a crucial sector while they reap the benefits of investing in cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable energy," said White House Climate Advisory Gina McCarthy. "These commitments harness the collective power of American businesses to carve new pathways to emissions reductions and accelerate progress towards deploying climate solutions across the country and reaching our zero-emissions goals."

The Better Climate Challenge (https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/better-climate-challenge) is a voluntary, market-based platform for organizations to come together and put in place ambitious, portfolio-wide, operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals and showcase how they are taking necessary, measurable steps to address the impacts of climate change.

Of the more than 80 inaugural partners who have committed to the Challenge, seven are public housing or multifamily partners serving 40,000 low-and moderate-income households across the country: Community Housing Partners, Foundation Communities, Homeowner's Rehab, King County Housing Authority, Seattle Housing Authority, Standard Communities, and the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation.

This challenge builds on the existing Better Building Challenge (www.hudexchange.info/programs/better-buildings-multifamily-initiative/), which HUD supports with Community Compass technical assistance (TA). Unlike the Better Building Challenge's requirement for a commitment to a 20 percent improvement in energy efficiency, the Climate Challenge will request commitments of a 50 percent portfolio-wide reduction in carbon emissions over 10 years.

Any organization with a portfolio of a minimum of two multifamily buildings and 250 units in the nation is welcome to join the multifamily Better Climate Challenge. Through this Challenge, DOE and HUD are striving to work with organizations across the U.S. economy to ensure broad participation and highlight leadership from a diverse array of public and private organizations across geographies.

The program builds upon the success of the Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge and provides value to partnering organizations in the following ways:

• Engage in Market Transformation with Industry Leaders
  • Access a network of more than 950 organizations in DOE's Better Buildings Initiative across every building sector to develop innovative cost-effective GHG reduction solutions.
  • Partners will work with each other and HUD and DOE to address key challenges facing the affordable housing market in building decarbonization and electrification.
• Access Peer-to-Peer Exchange and Technical Assistance Network
  • Access technical assistance through HUD Community Compass TA and DOE's national labs.
  • Peer-exchange opportunities to learn and share real world challenges and solutions through webinars, conferences, regional meetups, and other events.
• Recognition
  • National recognition for achieving program milestones and GHG emissions reduction results.

Through the Better Climate Challenge, HUD and DOE provide a national platform for organizations to make public commitments, share replicable solutions, leverage technical expertise, and gain recognition.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
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