Buffalo among 25 cities to get Bloomberg Philanthropies funding for climate change

Bloomberg Philanthropies did not say how much it would allocate for each city. If all the grants were equal, each of the 25 cities would receive $8 million over three years. Most of the support will take the form of pro bono assistance to land substantial federal grants.

Bloomberg Philanthropies said Tuesday in a statement that the initiative aims to “turbocharge 25 U.S. cities’ efforts to leverage historic levels of federal funding to proactively build low-carbon, resilient, and economically thriving communities.”

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said he welcomes the assistance.

“Climate change, with its increasingly frequent extreme weather patterns, is reshaping the urban landscape, presenting both new challenges and opportunities,” he said. “I look forward to working with the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative to position Buffalo at the forefront of climate action and build a stronger city for all of our residents.

The 25 cities will get free expert support from Bloomberg “innovation teams” in applying for historic funding via the 2022 federal Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to pursue “transformative solutions in the buildings and transportation sectors” to reduce emissions and improve lives in their communities.

Former New York Mayor and entrepreneur Mike Bloomberg has been using his foundation to assist cities whose disadvantaged communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change, and has committed more than $650 million to the cause so far, the group said.