The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce the recipients of the fourth annual Resilience Innovation Grant, a part of the Greening Diplomacy Initiative (GDI) Awards. Sponsored by the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), the grant provides up to $1 million to help U.S. embassies and consulates address emerging environmental risks for their operations with innovative solutions. Several projects were also supported by the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Selected projects positively impact the communities the Department operates in and provide tangible examples of sustainable and adaptive interventions. The Resilience Innovation Grant is a key way the Department strives to meet the White House's goals on combating the climate crisis, mitigating the financial and operational risks of climate change, and highlights U.S. commitment to climate leadership.
Incorporating a variety of technologies and spanning every region, the nineteen winning projects ranged in size from $3,050 to $187,000. Energy emerged as a theme, with several winning projects focusing on solar water heaters, LED retrofits, and building infrastructure to support electric vehicles (EVs) at our diplomatic posts. The winning posts will receive implementation guidance from OBO and the Office of Management Strategy and Solutions (M/SS).
Winning diplomatic posts include Embassy Lusaka, Embassy Mbabane, Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Embassy Manila, Consulate General Surabaya, Embassy Bern, Embassy Singapore, and Embassy Bridgetown which received grants for projects to improve their energy efficiency. Embassy Dar es Salaam, Embassy Riga, Embassy Manama, Embassy Valletta, and Embassy Tunis received grants to improve their water consumption and implement sustainable gardening practices. Embassy Singapore, Embassy Oslo, Embassy The Hague, and Consulate General Sao Paulo received grants to build EV infrastructure for charging stations. Embassy Bishkek received a grant aimed at improving its cycling infrastructure. Embassy Lima will reduce their waste by installing composting systems.
