Bloomberg Philanthropies has launched an initiative to support 25 US cities in building low carbon and resilient communities. Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities is a three year initiative designed to help US cities take full advantage of federal government funding for city transformation.

The $200 million Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative will support selected cities to pursue solutions in the buildings and transportation sectors through partnerships with PolicyLink, Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, and Natural Resources Defense Council.

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ commitment to supporting cities in reducing emissions is over $650 million to date.

In 2019, Mike Bloomberg launched the American Cities Climate Challenge to provide resources and support to 25 of the largest US cities to scale urban climate solutions in the buildings and transportation sectors. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies led a consortium of nonprofit and expert groups to establish the Local Infrastructure Hub, a national programme providing more than 1,200 municipalities with pro-bono expertise to access funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. To date, participating municipalities have already been awarded more than $1 billion in federal funding.

“Tackling climate change and building stronger and more equitable cities go hand in hand,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies. “Mayors have bold ideas for how to take on both challenges at once, and we’re looking forward to expanding our support for them.”

The cities selected to participate in the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative are: Akron, OH; Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Buffalo, NY; Charlotte, NC; Chattanooga, TN; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH; Dayton, OH; Hampton, VA; Jackson, MS; Kansas City, MO; Lansing, MI; Memphis, TN; Montgomery, AL; Nashville, TN; Newport News, VA; Oakland, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Raleigh, NC; Rochester, NY; Savannah, GA; St. Louis, MO.

“The Inflation Reduction Act creates unprecedented opportunities for communities nationwide to not only transition to clean energy, but stimulate local economies, generate quality jobs, and improve air quality and health outcomes. This is especially true for people of colour who are disproportionately impacted by climate change and harmful pollution in their communities,” said Gina McCarthy, Managing Co-Chair of America Is All In and former White House national climate advisor. “Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities is such an important initiative because it’s investing in our cities, where the magic of change happens. It’s at the ground level where people are working together to install clean energy, clean up the air, demand clean buses for our kids, rethink our food systems, and ensure that no community is left behind. I cannot wait to see the creative solutions these cities develop to ensure that safe water, clean air, and healthy communities are rights shared equally by all Americans.”